Wikipedia:WikiProject Tropical cyclones/Newsletter/Archive 33

This is the monthly newsletter of WikiProject Tropical Cyclones. The Hurricane Herald aims to give a summary, both of the activities of the WikiProject and global tropical cyclone activity. If you wish to change how you receive this newsletter, or no longer wish to receive it, please add your username to the appropriate section on the mailing list. This newsletter covers all project related events of October 2012 and some events of November 2012

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Storm of the month
'Hurricane Sandy' is Storm of the Month

Sandy. The name itself has left hundreds of thousands of Americans terrorized. The eighteenth named storm and tenth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Sandy was a Category 2 storm at its peak intensity. It had devastated portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, with lesser impacts in the Southeastern and Midwestern states and Eastern Canada, in late October 2012. Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, quickly strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Sandy six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually intensified. On October 24, Sandy became a hurricane, made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica, a few hours later, re-emerged into the Caribbean Sea and strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. On October 25, Sandy hit Cuba, then weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 26, Sandy moved through the Bahamas. On October 27, Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 29, Sandy curved north-northwest and then moved ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey as a "post-tropical cyclone" with hurricane-force winds. Shortly after, media outlets were calling the storm "Superstorm Sandy", with CNN in particular declaring an embargo on the use of the term "Frankenstorm" in its reporting, citing sensitivity concerns.

In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. Its storm surge hit New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city. In Jamaica, winds left 70% of residents without electricity, blew roofs off buildings, killed one, and caused about $55.23 million (2012 USD) in damage. In Haiti, Sandy's outer bands brought flooding that killed at least 54, caused food shortages, and left about 200,000 homeless. In the Dominican Republic, two died. In Puerto Rico, one man was swept away by a swollen river. In Cuba, there was extensive coastal flooding and wind damage inland, destroying some 15,000 homes, killing 11, and causing $2 billion (2012 USD) in damage. In The Bahamas, two died amid an estimated $300 million (2012 USD) in damage. Preliminary estimates of losses that include business interruption surpass $50 billion (2012 USD), which would make it the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane behind only Hurricane Katrina. At least 253 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries.