Hurricane Harvey and Sandy

Hurricane Sandy was the second highest costing hurricane in history, coming after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sandy was estimated to have a damage cost of twenty billion dollars. The path of Sandy was extremely large leaving a trail of devastation in at least 24 states from Florida to Maine and west to Michigan and Wisconsin. Hurricane Sandy was also the eighteenth named hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

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Sandy formed on October 22nd in the central Caribbean and intensified into a hurricane as it tracked north across Jamaica, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas. It was not until October 24th, 2012 when the tropical storm that rated Hurricane Sandy became a hurricane. 

 

October 28th, 2012 Hurricane Sandy turned west towards the mid Atlantic ridge while moving northeast towards the United States. Sandy transitioned into a post tropical cyclone just prior to moving on shore near Atlantic City, NJ. It was October 29th, 2012 when disaster declarations were approved for states along the east coast. 

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Over a period of 6 days, states and the Federal Government went from routine operations to a heightened state of alert in preparation for the arrival of this historic storm. October 28th, 2012 Obama signed Stafford Act for Connecticut, Washington, DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. 

 

The Stafford Act was congresses findings. These findings stated that because disasters often cause loss of life, human suffering, loss of income, and property loss and damage that the military should be involved. It also stated that  because disasters often disrupt the normal functioning of governments and communities, and adversely affect individuals and families with great severity that the government would contribute to aid being distributed to these communities affected by such disasters.  This act also offers assistance, and emergency services, and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of devastated areas. 
 

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