Hurricane Sandy was the costliest natural disaster in the history of New Jersey, with economic losses to businesses of up to $30 billion. The most intense storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Sandy formed in the Caribbean Sea on October 22. For days ahead of its eventual landfall, the hurricane was expected to turn toward New Jersey, as anticipated by tropical cyclone forecast models and the National Hurricane Center (NHC). On October 29, Sandy lost its characteristics of a tropical cyclone and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while approaching the New Jersey coast. About two and a half hours later, the former hurricane moved ashore New Jersey near Brigantine in Atlantic County, just north of Atlantic City, producing wind gusts as strong as .
Over two million households in the state lost power in the storm, 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and 38 people were killed. Storm surge and flooding affected a large swath of the state. Governor Chris Christie said the losses caused by Sandy were "going to be almost incalculable...The devastation on the Jersey Shore is probably going to be the worst we've ever seen."
Preparations
Hurricane Sandy originated from a tropical depression in the Caribbean Sea on October 22. By a day later, the computer model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts anticipated that the hurricane would eventually strike New Jersey. Early on October 25, Hurricane Sandy moved across eastern Cuba as a major hurricane and emerged into the western Atlantic Ocean. Later that day, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) first forecast a landfall in New Jersey, due to the anticipated interaction between Sandy and an approaching trough, as well as the presence of a ridge over New England. The forecast reflected the majority of computer models, which had previously suggested a northeast track across the Atlantic Ocean.
The NHC expected that Sandy would become extratropical at some point before hitting the coast, but there was uncertainty in the timing. To avoid potential confusion, the agency did not issue hurricane and tropical cyclone warnings; instead, the National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Mount Holly and New York City issued high wind warnings for the state, reflecting the expectation of wind gusts over . The NWS issued a flood watch and a coastal flood watch on October 27 for much of the state. These were upgraded to warnings as Sandy approached the state. The NHC anticipated a storm surge of .
On October 26, or three days before landfall, then-Governor Chris Christie issued a voluntary evacuation order for all barrier islands along the Jersey Shore, which were upgraded to a mandatory evacuation a day later. About 115,000 people were under evacuation orders, of whom about 15,000 people used emergency shelters. A woman in Atlantic City died of a heart attack while evacuating on a bus. On October 27, Christie declared a state of emergency, activating 2,000 National Guard troops.
The passage of Sandy prompted the closure of all state parks and historic sites, state offices, courts, and all 580 school districts. All Atlantic City casinos closed on the day before landfall and remained closed for six days until November 3. This led to a 28% drop in revenue during November. It was the biggest monthly drop in 34 years.Parry, Wayne. "Sandy causes record drop in NJ casino revenues". katv.com. December 10, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
Tolls were suspended on the northbound Garden State Parkway and the westbound Atlantic City Expressway starting at 6:00 a.m. on October 28. In Cape May County, New Jersey, officials advised residents on barrier islands to evacuate on October 26, becoming a mandatory evacuation on October 28. There was also a voluntary evacuation for Mantoloking, Bay Head, Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach, Ship Bottom, and Stafford in Ocean County. On October 28, Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer ordered an evacuation of all basement and street level residential units, due to possible flooding. Similarly, Jersey City mayor Jerramiah Healy ordered an evacuation of all basement and 1st-floor units east of Greene Street, south of Columbus Drive, and east of Washington Boulevard north of Columbus Drive. On October 29, a mandatory evacuation was put in effect for residents in some parts of Logan Township.Hurricane Sandy: Portions of Logan Township issued evacuation order On November 1, Governor Christie lifted mandatory evacuation orders in Atlantic and Cape May counties.
Ahead of the storm, officials warned residents of the potential for power outages lasting over a week. Jersey Central Power & Light told employees to be prepared for extended shifts. Most schools, colleges, and universities were closed October 29 and at least 509 out of 580 school districts were closed October 30. In the early morning hours of October 29, PATH and New Jersey Transit services were suspended in preparation for the hurricane. Also, the Garden State Parkway was completely shut down south of the Atlantic City Expressway due to flooding.Garden State Parkway closed from AC Expressway south, NJ.com, October 29, 2012
President Obama signed an emergency declaration for New Jersey. The declaration allows the state to request federal funding and other assistance for actions taken prior to Sandy's landfall.
Impact
On October 29, about two and a half hours from its New Jersey landfall, Sandy transitioned into an extratropical cyclone as it encountered cooler waters and a cold air mass. At about 23:30 Coordinated Universal Time (6:30 p.m. EDT), the center of former hurricane Sandy made landfall near Brigantine in Atlantic County, with maximum sustained winds of about . The highest wind gust in the state was in Atlantic City. At the Atlantic City Marina, a barometer recorded a minimum barometric pressure of , which set a record for the city, and was the lowest pressure ever recorded in the United States north of North Carolina. The state capital Trenton also recorded its lowest ever pressure – . Sandy dropped heavy rainfall across the state as it approached and later moved across the state. The statewide peak precipitation total was , recorded in Wildwood Crest. This made it the 6th wettest tropical cyclone in the state.
The most damaging aspects of Sandy were from its high waves, estimated from , as well as its storm surge, which is the rise in water above the normally expected high tide. Record-high water levels occurred in the state due to the storm's fast motion toward the coast and its passage during the regular high tide. The highest water levels occurred north of the landfall point in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties, especially along the Raritan Bay, where the surge reached an estimated . Along Sandy Hook at the northern end of Monmouth County, a tide gauge on a pier recorded a water level of above the average low tide, at which point the pier collapsed and the gauge stopped reporting. This indicated a storm surge of , which broke the previous record high tide there by , set by Hurricane Donna in 1960. The highest High water mark in the state was , measured at the Coast Guard station in Sandy Hook. The most significant flooding in the state occurred in the areas around Lower New York Bay, Raritan Bay, and the Raritan River. Along the Jersey Shore, the high water levels inundated several barrier islands, with a new temporary inlet created in Mantoloking. Most coastal towns in New Jersey suffered beach erosion due to Sandy's waves, and on average, beaches were narrower after the storm. However, some beaches in the extreme southern end of the state grew in size. As Sandy entered Pennsylvania, a strong southeasterly flow produced record flooding along the Delaware Bay and Delaware River.
Across New Jersey, 38 people died due in part to Sandy, including 12 fatalities directly related to the hurricane's impacts. The large swath of strong winds and widespread flooding produced the costliest natural disaster in the history of New Jersey, with damage estimated at $29.4 billion. This far surpassed the $1 billion damage total Hurricane Irene from the 2011, the state's previous costliest natural disaster. Damage was heaviest in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Statewide, Sandy damaged 346,000 homes, with about 30,000 homes and businesses destroyed or significantly damaged. The storm's high winds and heavy rainfall knocked down or damaged more than 113,000 trees across the state, many of which fell onto power lines, leaving about 2.7-million New Jerseyans without power. The power outages affected 70 water systems and 80 sewage systems. High waters sank 1,400 boats.
An analysis of aerial imagery conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated that approximately 72,000 homes and business in New Jersey were damaged or destroyed by the storm, with over 40,000 of the buildings affected being in Ocean County. Based on this analysis, 507 buildings were destroyed, 5051 suffered major structural damage, and 66,212 incurred limited damage. U.S. Congressman Chris Smith stated on January 2, 2013, that 346,000 homes in New Jersey were damaged by Sandy, of which 22,000 were rendered uninhabitable.
Atlantic County Former Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Atlantic County, just north of Atlantic City. Most of the eastern portion of the county suffered from the effects of high winds and tides. Atlantic City recorded a storm surge of , as well as of rainfall. The highest tide – above mean low water – was the second-highest ever recorded at the station, only behind the December 1992 nor'easter. High floodwaters temporarily cut off travel between the city and the mainland. High waves destroyed the northern end of the Atlantic City boardwalk, which was already scheduled to be removed. In the city, more than 5,000 housing units were damaged during Sandy, which represented 11% of the statewide number of damaged units. Significant tidal damage also occurred elsewhere on Absecon Island, which includes the municipalities of Ventnor, Margate, and Longport. An elderly man in Ventnor struck his head and died while moving his car away from floodwaters. Part of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge was closed when high seas washed boulders onto it. A travel ban was put into effect after sunset due to the storm.Hurricane Sandy: Travel ban and curfew in Atlantic City as night falls, NJ.com, October 29, 2012
Ocean County
In Ocean County, located north of Atlantic County, damage was severest in the eastern portion of the county, including Long Beach Island, the Barnegat Peninsula, and along the Barnegat Bay. Damage in the county was worst along the Barnegat Peninsula, with parts of Seaside Park inundated by of floodwaters. High tides in Mantoloking created a temporary inlet and swept away several homes, with such severe damage that residents were not allowed to move back until February 2013, or about three months after the storm. Also in Mantoloking, ruptured natural gas lines ignited fires, destroying 14 homes.
In Seaside Heights, toward the southern end of the Barnegat Peninsula, the storm washed away a portion of Funtown Pier, a local amusement park. Damage surpassed $1 million, with 40 of the 44 rides damaged. In the same city, a portion of Casino Pier collapsed into the ocean due to intense waves, with all of its roller coasters damaged, and a haunted house washed ashore nine miles (15 km) away. The Star Jet roller coaster fell off the damaged pier into the ocean but remained largely intact. Most of the rides in these amusement parks were destroyed, including roller coasters.Zezima, Katie. "Storm washes away much of 'Jersey Shore' town" . wday.com. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.