The first complete moment-by-moment account of the largest Atlantic storm system ever recorded—a hurricane like no other The sky was lit by a full moon on October 29, 2012, but nobody on the eastern seaboard of the United States could see it. Everything had been consumed by cloud. The storm’s immensity caught the attention of scientists on the International Space Station. Even from there, it seemed almost limitless: 1.8 million square feet of tightly coiled bands so huge they filled the windows of the Station. It was the largest storm anyone had ever seen. Initially a tropical storm, Sandy had grown into a hybrid monster. It charged across open ocean, picking up strength with every step, baffling meteorologists and scientists, officials and emergency managers, even the traditional maritime wisdom of sailors and seamen: What exactly was this thing? By the time anyone decided, it was too late. And then the storm made landfall. Sandy was not just enormous, it was also unprecedented. As a result, the entire nation was left flat-footed. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration couldn’t issue reliable warnings; the Coast Guard didn’t know what to do. In Superstorm, journalist Kathryn Miles takes readers inside the maelstrom, detailing the stories of dedicated professionals at the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service. The characters include a forecaster who risked his job to sound the alarm in New Jersey, the crew of the ill-fated tall ship Bounty, Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Christie, and countless coastal residents whose homes—and lives—were torn apart and then left to wonder . . . When is the next superstorm coming?

This book provides a brief examination of Hurricane Sandy, which struck the United States Northeast in 2012.

Was Sandy a freak of nature, or the new normal? On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy reached the shores of the northeastern United States to become one of the most destructive storms in history. But was Sandy a freak event, or should we have been better prepared for it? Was it a harbinger of things to come as the climate warms? In this fascinating and accessible work of popular science, atmospheric scientist and Columbia University professor Adam Sobel addresses these questions, combining his deep knowledge of the climate with his firsthand experience of the event itself. Sobel explains the remarkable atmospheric conditions that gave birth to Sandy and determined its path. He gives us insight into the science that led to the accurate forecasts of the storm from genesis to landfall, as well as an understanding of why our meteorological vocabulary failed our leaders in warning us about this unprecedented weather system—part hurricane, part winter-type nor'easter, fully deserving of the title "Superstorm." Storm Surge brings together the melting glaciers, the warming oceans, and a broad historical perspective to explain how our changing climate and developing coastlines are making New York and other cities more vulnerable. Engaging, informative, and timely, Sobel's book provokes us to think differently about how we can better prepare for the storms in our future.

Sandy was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history after Katrina, but the waters had barely receded from the Jersey coast when massive efforts began to “Restore the Shore.” Why do people build in areas open to repeated natural disasters? And why do they return to these areas in the wake of major devastation? Drawing on a variety of insights from environmental sociology, Superstorm Sandy answers these questions as it looks at both the unique character of the Jersey Shore and the more universal ways that humans relate to their environment. Diane C. Bates offers a wide-ranging look at the Jersey Shore both before and after Sandy, examining the many factors—such as cultural attachment, tourism revenues, and governmental regulation—that combined to create a highly vulnerable coastal region. She explains why the Shore is so important to New Jerseyans, acting as a key cultural touchstone in a state that lacks a central city or even a sports team to build a shared identity among the state’s residents. She analyzes post-Sandy narratives about the Jersey Shore that trumpeted the dominance of human ingenuity over nature (such as the state’s “Stronger than the Storm” advertising campaign) or proclaimed a therapeutic community (“Jersey Strong”)—narratives rooted in emotion and iconography, waylaying any thought of the near-certainty of future storms. The book also examines local business owners, politicians, real estate developers, and residents who have vested interests in the region, explaining why the Shore was developed intensively prior to Sandy, and why restoration became an imperative in the post-storm period. Engagingly written and insightful, Superstorm Sandy highlights the elements that compounded the disaster on the Shore, providing a framework for understanding such catastrophes and preventing them in the future.

Learning from the Impacts of Superstorm Sandy summarizes first results from studies of Superstorm Sandy, including: tide gauge measurements of storm surge, stable isotope variation in precipitation, analysis of the effect of beach nourishment among other factors on structural damage, and comparison with past storms through sediment analysis. This book gives a multi-dimensional treatment of scientific results of studies of Superstorm Sandy, and it is a valuable reference for oceanographers, coastal geologists, climatologists, dynamic meteorologists, paleotempostologists, sedimentary geologists, geomorphologists and emergency managers who need to better understand the storm and its effects in order to be prepared for similar events in the future. - Summarizes first results from studies of Superstorm Sandy - Gives a multi-dimensional treatment of scientific results of studies of Superstorm Sandy

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the Mid-Atlantic region. The devastation she would bring to the New York and New Jersey was widespread and unimaginable. Though warnings had been issued for days and many evacuated their homes and offices, thousands stood in the path of one of the strongest storms in the history of America. Winds on Long Island reached 90 mph. Large sections of Lower Manhattan flooded. Fire in Queens destroyed more than 100 buildings. In New Jersey, 2.6 million homes were without people and nearly 40 people were killed. A 50-foot piece of the Atlantic City Boardwalk washed away and half the city of Hoboken was under water. Hundreds of thousands were left without power and water, with dwindling food supplies. Amidst this devastation, Sandy inspired courage and hope in many New Yorkers, giving them the will to triumph against incalculable odds. Seeking shelter and the basic necessities of life, thousands continued to fight on to simply survive the harshest of conditions and help others do the same. These gripping moments of ruin and recovery are captured in "Sandy: A Story of Complete Devastation, Courage, and Recovery," which features award-winning stories and nearly 100 vivid full-color images from the "New York Post." A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book will be donated to the Mayor's Fund for New York City and Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey's Forgotten Shore brings to life the individual and collective voices of a community: victims, volunteers, and state and federal agencies that came together to rebuild the Bayshore after the Superstorm Sandy in 2013. After the tumultuous night of October 29, 2012, the residents of Monmouth, Ocean, and Atlantic Counties faced an enormous and pressing question: What to do? The stories captured in this book encompass their answer to that question: the clean-up efforts, the work with governmental and non-governmental aid agencies, and the fraught choices concerning rebuilding. Through a rich and varied set of oral histories that provide perspective on disaster planning, response, and recovery in New Jersey, Abigail Perkiss captures the experience of these individuals caught in between short-term preparedness initiatives that municipal and state governments undertook and the long-term planning decisions that created the conditions for catastrophic property damage. Through these stories, Hurricane Sandy on New Jersey's Forgotten Shore lays bare the ways that climate change and sea level rise are creating critical vulnerabilities in the most densely populated areas in the nation, illuminating the human toll of disaster and the human capacity for resilience.