15 jaw-dropping photos from Hurricane Sandy's aftermath
October 29, 2015 marks three years since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the northeastern United States. The hurricane tore through hundreds of homes in New York and New Jersey, killing over 100 people, leaving thousands without homes and even more without power. The storm left billions of dollars of damage in its wake. It also proved how ill-prepared and vulnerable the states are for natural disasters, especially with the growing climate change on the horizon.
To mark Hurricane Sandy's three year anniversary, here are some of the most jaw-dropping photos from the storm:
Raymond Souza carries away a ladder after boarding up Tidal Rave's 5 & 10 gift shop on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, ahead of Hurricane Sandy's landfall. Before Sandy even made contact, she had already demonstrated such destructive behavior that weather historians dubbed it a "once in a lifetime storm."
A man walks past a barricaded subway entrance near Battery Park during the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29, 2012 in New York City. The day before, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the MTA would shut down its busses and and Subway system and remain closed until the storm passed.
"The closer you get to the point of landfall, the decision becomes more important, and at this time we think it's a prudent decision," the governor said. "This is nothing to play with, and this is nothing to take lightly."
Cars float in a flooded subterranian basement following Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012 in the Financial District of New York, United States. The storm claimed 160 lives nationwide and caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit the East Coast since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. U.S. President Barack Obama declared the situation a "major disaster" for large areas of the U.S. East Coast including New York City.
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A resident pulls a woman in a canoe down 6th Street as high tide, rain and winds flood local streets on Oct. 29, 2012 in Lindenhurst, New York. The storm, which affected more than 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S. and left 6.2 million across seven states without power in its wake.
People are evacuated from a neighborhood in Little Ferry, New Jersey, one day after Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast on Oct. 30, 2012. Sandy took the lives of 71 people, directly, and 87 people, indirectly. Officials in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia all reported deaths from the massive storm system, while Toronto police said a Canadian woman was killed by flying debris.
Residents view downed trees completely blocking Cold Spring Harbor Road in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012 in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Damage from the storm was estimated to be $75 billion, which makes Hurricane Sandy the the costliest storm behind Hurricane Katrina.
Taxis sit in a flooded lot after Hurricane Sandy Oct. 30, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The superstorm flooded several subway tunnels and shut down many train and bus stations across the northern states. Despite the fact that traffic was disrupted for almost a week afterwards, evacuation efforts went on quite smoothly. Researchers at the University of Illinois used GPS data from New York taxis in order to determine how the city's traffic patterns change during hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Massive fires destroyed 110 homes in Breezy Point, Brooklyn, one of the most devastating fires as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Pictures were taken during height of fire storm at about 1 a.m. Oct. 30, 2012. The fires are suspected to have started due to a transformer explosion. Even though the area had been under evacuation orders, some residents tried to ride out the storm. Rescuers were chest-deep in water and had to use a boat to access survivors. The next day, Breezy Point residents vowed to rebuild their community.
A partially collapsed crane hangs from a 90-story residential building under construction on West 57th Street in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Atlantic superstorm Sandy cut U.S. economic growth as it kept millions of employees away from work and shut down businesses from restaurants to refineries in one of the nation's most populated and productive regions.
US President Barack Obama comforts Hurricane Sandy victim Dana Vanzant as he visits a neighborhood in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012. Americans sifted through the wreckage of superstorm Sandy that day as millions remained without power. The storm carved a trail of devastation across New York City and New Jersey, killing dozens of people in several states, swamping miles of coastline, and throwing the tied-up White House race into disarray just days before the vote.
A girl holds jerry cans while waiting in line at a gas station on Nov. 1, 2012 in Hazlet township, New Jersey. United States. New York City schools, as well as other schools in the tri-state area, remained closed until Friday, Nov. 2, but because schools were still flooded then, many students stayed home until Nov. 7.
The roller coaster at the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey on Nov. 1. The boardwalk was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. This is one of the most iconic images of Hurricane Sandy's destruction. It graced the cover of t-shirts, car magnets and on the front page of media outlets. The roller coaster was eventually dismantled by a construction crew.
Scenes of Hurricane Sandy's aftermath in the Breezy Point part of Far Rockawayon Nov. 1, 2012 in the Queens borough of New York City. The superstorm was merciless in its devastation of the private beach community. Nearly 215 homes were damaged beyond compare from flooding and demolished. 135 more homes were destroyed due to fires.
This combination of photos shows above, lower Manhattan dark after the hybrid storm Sandy on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, and below a fully lit skyline on Jan. 6, 2012, both seen from the Brooklyn borough of New York. In an attempt to lessen damage from saltwater to the subway system and the electrical network beneath the city's financial district, New York City's main utility cut power to about 6,500 customers in lower Manhattan. But a far wider swath of the city was hit with blackouts caused by flooding and transformer explosions.
See more photos from the storm:
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