Throughout the New York metropolitan area and farther south in New Jersey, Sandy’s hurricane-force winds brought devastation to surrounding cities, causing an estimated $50 billion or more in damage. While wind damage due to Hurricane-force winds occurred, the most enduring impact was due to the massive flooding throughout the metro area extending to areas that were not prepared for flood-like waters. As a result, many home and business owners were forced to abandon their investments and came back to desolation, and many faced the devastating realization that they did not have flood insurance – their investment gone.
Hurricane Sandy affected a total of twenty-four states., but the two states that were affected the most by this Superstorm were New York and New Jersey.
New Jersey
According to recent estimates, Hurricane Sandy has caused over 29 billion dollars in with wind damage and flood damage in New Jersey. The estimate of the damage caused by the storm includes personal property, business, infrastructure and utility damage, the NJ governor said in a recent statement. Over 340,000 homes in New Jersey were damaged by super-storm Sandy.
The Jersey shore suffered the most wind and flood damage, and the most damage from the storm. Mantoloking, New Jersey was hit hard as well as the communities on Long Beach Island. The damage in Long Beach Island alone was close to 1 billions dollars. Other communities that were highly affected, were Bergen County. The cities of Moonachie, Little Ferry, and Carlstadt were all three devastated by flood waters having five-feet of standing water running through the streets.
New York
Hurricane Sandy hit the cost and caused power outages, structural damage to many of the buildings, and even reeked havoc on the transportation system in New York City. According to the city of New York, close to five-billion dollars worth of damage occurred to the transportation system alone. The streets of Staten Island were flooded causing much water damage and loss, and many homeowners continue to dig out their homes and face the reality of their ruined homes. In addition to water damage, Breezy Point, NY took an additional hit when a fire began to spread throughout the entire community destroying more than one-hundred homes by fire damage. This doesn’t include the eight-hundred dollars in damage that occurred to the trees in the various parks in New York.
Most homeowners are relying on their insurance companies to provide the funds to make their homes livable again. Because of the devastation many homeowners have been waiting for months on their insurance company and are losing hope and considering their home and investment lost. Some are even stating that dealing with the insurance companies is a comparable devastation.
Although this storm has brought calamity and destruction, the community of New York and New Jersey are working together to help each other get back on their feet. People are reaching out to one another in this time of great need.
