By Lauren Trevino
Staff Writer
On Oct. 29, the tenth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey after wreaking havoc on Caribbean countries like Jamaica and Cuba. While the outer bands of the storm had affected the East coast of America with its strong winds and heavy rainfall, the northeast region of the country was the part that was affected most by the super storm. Junior Keriann Delauter said, “My friends in New York have been out of school for a week and a half.”
Sandy, also known as “Frankenstorm”, was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, as well as the second costliest Atlantic hurricane, only surpassed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Its torrential rainfall caused mass flooding, accompanied by power outages across New England. “My aunt and her three little kids had no power for five days.” said senior Celia Ford, “They had to choose between hooking their generator up to the refrigerator or their heater.”
Sandy caused an estimated $50 billion in damage to the New England Area. As the government frantically tries to piece the region back together, other storms are causing problems for those who are without power and shelter. Millions have been left homeless in the wake of the super storm and are registered for temporary housing until they have a chance to rebuild.
This event has not only been stressful for those directly affected, but also for their relatives and friends. The storm cut off communication from the northeast. Many family members, as well as friends worried about loved ones trapped in Sandy’s wrath. Junior Benjamin Petersen said, “There was no way of knowing if they were in danger. It was a very stressful night but fortunately everything turned out ok.”