Over the past week, Hurricane Sandy ravaged the Caribbean, and then took an unprecedented path of devastation through the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Great Lakes before moving into Canada.  The storm was an historic storm that rivaled memorable storms such as The Perfect Storm, Superstorm ’93, The Long Island Express of 1938, The Great Hurricane of 1821, and Hurricane Donna.  Below are some of the facts that I have collected on the storm.

Facts compiled from CNN, New York Times, USA Today, Huffington Post, WB11 (PIX11), WABC, WNBC, WCBS, and FOX5.

• Storm made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey.
• Minimum central pressure was 940 millibars, the lowest ever recorded north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
• The storm had tropical storm force winds over 1,000 miles wide.  The entire system encompassed 2,000 miles.
• The storm combined with a cold front, blocking high pressure, and a strong dip in the jet stream to become a superstorm that brought all kinds of weather including high winds, rain, waves, storm surge, tornadoes, and even blizzards.
• A record storm surge occurred in New York Harbor at 13.88 feet in Battery Park.  King’s Point had a surge of 13.3 feet.  Sandy Hook, New Jersey also reported a surge of 13.3 feet.
• At least 33 people dead nationwide from the storm.  Add that to 69 deaths in the Caribbean for a death toll of 102.
• 18 People Dead New York State including 10 in New York City.
• Six People Dead In New Jersey.
• Four Dead in Pennsylvania
• Some 60 million people were affected by this storm, or about one in every six Americans.
• Originally, some 8.2 million people without power.  Still about 5 million people remain without power.
• Power failures in 17 states.
• Waves rose to 20.3 feet in the southern part of Lake Michigan.
• New York City’s mass transit system from the Subways, Buses, Metro North and Long Island Railroad trains were left out of service due to the storm.
• Initial estimates of $5 to $10 billion in damage, and that is expected to be much higher.
• Predicted losses of $20 billion in damage and another $10 to 30 billion in lost business from the storm by IHS Global Insight.
• Wall Street closed for two days, which is the longest it has been closed besides the days after 9/11.  First time the NYSE has been closed for two straight days due to weather.
• Schools will be closed throughout New York City for a third straight day.
• Between 80 and 110 homes destroyed by fires fanned by the winds from Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point.
• Hackensack River in New Jersey went over its banks and flooded portions of Hackensack, South Hackensack, Little Ferry, and Moonachie.
• Con Edison Substation on 14th street suffered An Explosion knocking out power to some 250,000 NYC residents.
• Critically ill patients had to be evacuated from NYU’s Langone Medical Center in NYC.
• About 50 percent of Hoboken, New Jersey remains under water.
• Trees down throughout much of New Jersey.
• New Jersey secondary roads such as Routes 34, 35, 36, and 37 remain closed in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.  Portions of Route 22 closed in Hunterdon County.
• Jersey Shore coastal communities such as Belmar, Bradley Beach, Avon By The Sea, Asbury Park, Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Seaside Heights, Lavallette, Ortley Beach, and Ocean City were left devastated by the storm surge from Sandy.  Belmar’s famous boardwalk was destroyed as well as the one in Spring Lake.  Famous rides in Seaside Heights were wiped out.
• Atlantic City’s boardwalk lost several blocks.