Wednesday, December 15, 2021
On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy slammed the Northeast, flooding coastal cities, crippling the grid, and leaving millions without power for weeks.
On this day in 2012, Superstorm Sandy came ashore in the Northeast at high tide and under a full moon, driving a record storm surge into New York and New Jersey. Sea water poured into subway tunnels, streets, and basements, and the flooding and wind left more than eight million homes and businesses without power, some for weeks.
The aftermath showed how quickly a modern city runs short. Gas stations without power could not pump, so fuel lines stretched for blocks, card readers went dark so cash was suddenly king, and people in high-rise apartments found themselves hauling water up unlit stairwells for days.
The lesson is to store the ordinary things a city usually provides. Cash on hand, fuel for a vehicle or generator, stored water, and a plan for an extended power outage are what keep a coastal household functioning when the storm surge takes the grid with it.
