New Haven, Connecticut, sits along the northern edge of Long Island Sound. While hurricanes rarely make direct landfall in the area at full strength, the city is vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, and power outages that come with large tropical systems. Since 2004, several storms have affected the region, including Irene in 2011, Isaias in 2020, and Henri in 2021. However, none had as significant an impact as Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Live Science
Sandy was an unusually large system, reaching nearly 1,000 miles across at its peak. When the storm made landfall near New Jersey on October 29, it had been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane (althouhg it reached as high as a category 3, with windspeeds of up to 115 mph). Despite this, its size and timing resulted in widespread damage across the East Coast. Connecticut experienced strong winds, coastal flooding, and prolonged power outages.
In New Haven, city officials issued evacuation orders for low-lying neighborhoods such as Morris Cove, City Point, and parts of Fair Haven. Emergency shelters were opened, and the National Guard assisted with storm preparations. Authorities emphasized that the storm’s downgraded status did not reduce its potential for damage.
- Long Wharf Drive was submerged, and nearby businesses were surrounded by water.
- Morris Cove saw flooding on residential streets, with basements and first floors damaged by saltwater.
- The Quinnipiac River overflowed into Fair Haven, with flooding extending north of I-95.
- City Point experienced extensive flooding that left several blocks inaccessible until waters receded.
The scale of the destruction was significant. In total, six homes were washed out to sea, 24 were condemned, and roughly 3,000 more were damaged across the area. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, leaving thousands of households without power, some for several days. Schools, businesses, and transportation routes were closed due to both water and debris.
NBC Connecticut
In the aftermath, many shoreline residents chose to rebuild differently. Dozens of homes in Morris Cove, City Point, and other low-lying neighborhoods were elevated on stilts or had loft additions built to reduce the risk of future flood damage.
In the years since, Sandy has influenced local emergency planning. Evacuation readiness for shoreline neighborhoods remains a priority, and the storm is frequently cited in discussions about climate change, sea level rise, and future flood risk.
Fox 61
Citations
National Weather Service. (n.d.). New Haven impacts [PDF]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.weather.gov/media/okx/coastalflood/New%20Haven%20impacts.pdf
Bass, P. (2017, October 29). A look back at Superstorm Sandy. New Haven Independent. https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/a_look_back_at_superstorm_sandy
Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation. (2022, November 7). Ten-year anniversary of Super Storm Sandy. University of Connecticut. https://circa.uconn.edu/2022/11/07/ten-year-anniversary-of-super-storm-sandy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2022). Fairfield and New Haven counties' coastal storm risk management feasibility study. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-Topics/Fairfield-and-New-Haven-Counties-Coastal-Storm-Risk-Management-Feasibility-Study
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt was cool reading about a Hurricane on the East Coast since I know a lot about the ones in the South. I like how you included details about mitigation actions to help, for example, homes that are at risk of being elevated. I also like how you added a video that was interesting to watch.
ReplyDelete