Hurricane Sandy began its destructive path on October 25th in the Caribbean and has since caused devastation to multiple cities along the East Coast. While it was initially expected to make landfall in Manhattan, the hurricane swerved left and hit southern New Jersey the hardest, as evidenced by multiple photographs of demolished houses and public areas. At one point, the storm was nearly 1,000 miles wide, bringing blizzard-like weather to West Virginia and 20-foot waves to Lake Michigan. According to Boston.com, Sandy will have caused about $30 billion in damages in the United States alone.
In terms of damages, many across the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York City have experienced major flooding, interrupted travel (NYC still has limited MTA service and New Jersey's PATH is still down), structural damage, and power outages (NYC still has no power in lower Manhattan). According to the Wall Street Journal, Hurricane Sandy ranks "as the 17th most damaging hurricane or tropical storm (out of 242) to hit the U.S. since 1900."
To date, the storm has claimed more than 100 lives. Our best wishes are with those who have lost homes, family, or loved ones.
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