ATM 103 Case Study Final Draft PDF

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Hurricane Sandy
Professor Kevin Reed...

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Case Study 1: Hurricane Sandy

Melissa Sahadeo School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University ATM 103: Extreme Weather Dr. Kevin A. Reed September 20th, 2020

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Case Study 1: Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy is known as the most calamitous weather event in 2012, creating catastrophic damage in the Caribbean and Northeastern states of the U.S. Ongoing for nearly ten days, almost 150 people in the United States and 70 people in the Caribbean had lost their lives (Gibbens, 2019). Data collected by the New York City Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery displayed that in just the city alone, 44 city residents died, and the city suffered “an estimated $19 billion in damages and lost economic activity,” (NYC-CDBG DR, n.d.). Combined with “a cold front and a storm”, this category-1 hurricane had reached 900 miles in diameter and hit different states, such as Pennsylvania, by 150 mph winds (Amadeo, 2020). Citizens of New York City had underestimated the unprecedented power of the storm and had not prepared enough for its arrival. According to The Washington Post, “people stockpiled food, bought generators and chain saws, and taped windows against the wind’s blast,” (Halsey and Berman, 2012). Evacuation shelters and command centers were opened to provide security for those who needed to be indoors with food and water. However, citizens were not prepared for the long-term damage induced by Sandy. Many residents along the coastal area of Queens, specifically The Rockaways and Broad Channel, experienced massive flooding within their homes and had to relocate. Trees falling on power lines resulted in about 8 million people losing electricity, including hospitals such as NYU Langone (Amadeo, 2020). Alongside power and property damage, transportation was also detrimentally impacted by Hurricane Sandy. New York City subways were flooded with water. This caused the temporary discontinuation of train lines, thus, regular commuters could not be present to their jobs (Amadeo, 2020). Those who booked flights or planned road trips to New York had to

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postpone their trip since “more than 15,000 flights to New York City were cancelled, the AMTRAK closed, and all bridges and roadways were closed in Manhattan,” (Amadeo, 2019). Businesses perished as a result of this natural disaster, particularly small business. As roads and transportation closed due to flooding by the storm and fallen trees, these restrictions made it nearly impossible for customers to buy products and for businesses owners to deliver these products to them. A survey of about 450 small business owners conducted by The Hartford, an insurance company, found that “fifty-two percent of the surveyed businesses lost sales or revenues” and “about 75 percent of the businesses had to close for at least one day” (Zabell, 2013). Small businesses impact their community in such a way that it creates community identity and provides an opportunity for local jobs to be available. This is convenient for community members who would be able to minimize the amount of traveling needed to get to work. Therefore, as local businesses suffer, so do the local residents who depend on these businesses. To resolve this issue, New York City received a grant of $4.2 billion dollars devoted towards funding disaster recovery. This grant was able to “provide aid to businesses, assist displaced tenants, rebuild and rehabilitate housing,” and more economic recovery needs (NYC-CDBG DR, n.d.). The experience of Hurricane Sandy served as a learning lesson for many residents in the Northeast. The aftermath of Sandy allowed those who were exceptionally victimized by this hurricane to build resiliency and prepare more constructively for natural disasters in the future. By taking extra precautions, such as strategically planning evacuation routes due to house floods ahead of time, victims of natural disasters may be able to persevere any emergency with reduced stress and financial burden.

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References Amadeo, K. (2019, June 25). How Bad Was Hurricane Sandy? Retrieved September 06, 2020 https://www.thebalance.com/hurricane-sandy-damage-facts-3305501 Gibbens, S. (2019, February 25). Hurricane Sandy, explained. Retrieved September 06, 2020 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/reference/hurrica ne-sandy/ III, A., & Berman, M. (2012, October 27). Preparations hasten for Hurricane Sandy. Retrieved September 06, 2020 https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/preparations-hasten-for-hurricane-sandy/2012 /10/26/0f3db290-1f8b-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_story.html Impact of Hurricane Sandy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 06, 2020 https://www1.nyc.gov/site/cdbgdr/about/About%20Hurricane%20Sandy.page Zabell, M. (2013, April 23). Six Months After Hurricane Sandy: Have Small Businesses Recovered? Retrieved September 06, 2020 https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/hurrica ne-sandys-impact-on-small-businesses/...