2 Years Later: Hurricane Sandy in Essex County

By Yvanna Saint-Fort and Rose Driscoll

Nearly two years ago Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey towns with force that had not been seen in decades. Many can remember the uprooted trees and branches littered all through the streets.

Across the county, countless homes left without power or completely destroyed. On October 30, 2012, PSE&G reported that 1.4 million customers were without power due to Hurricane Sandy, the largest storm in PSE&G history. In Essex County the outages totaled 255,469 on that date.

Gas lines throughout the tri-state area were backed up for blocks and in some cases, miles. A slideshow from NJ.com exhibits the damage.

The storm officially ended on November 2 but its devastation can still be seen in some areas across the state.

Have any memories from Hurricane Sandy to share? What did your family do to keep busy while the lights were out? Which relief initiative helped you most? Tell us in the comments below.

The Red Cross released a two-year report today, October 28, to recap their commitment to spend more than $310 million, or 99 percent of the $311.5 million donated for its Sandy response and recovery work.

“Our work has been possible because of the compassion and generosity of donors, and we have spent the money people donated for Sandy quickly, carefully and wisely – and in line with the intent of our donors,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the Red Cross. “And we’re still helping, as the Red Cross and other groups we have funded continue to offer a range of recovery services that meet the needs of Sandy survivors.”

The Red Cross recovery efforts in Sandy-impacted communities over the past year build on the emergency relief in the months following the storm’s landfall on October 29, 2012. This work, powered by 17,000 trained workers from all over the country – 90 percent of them volunteers, included:

• 17.5 million meals and snacks.
• More than 7 million relief items such as cold weather items and clean-up supplies.
• Nearly 113,000 health services and emotional support contacts for people who have been living in very tough conditions.
• 74,000 overall shelter stays for Sandy.

Even as its emergency relief work was occurring, the Red Cross began to help people in the long recovery process, and that work continues. Trained Red Cross workers are meeting with those in need, providing case management and financial assistance to help with security and utility deposits, home repairs and rent as well as linking them to available social service programs.

Information courtesy of The Red Cross