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| How Sandy stacked up: the storm in statistics | How Sandy stacked up: the storm in statistics |
| (8 days later) | |
| The worst of Sandy has passed for most of us in the northeastern United States. The storm lived up to expectations and lashed out a blow that will not soon be forgotten. But just how bad was Sandy, meteorologically speaking? | The worst of Sandy has passed for most of us in the northeastern United States. The storm lived up to expectations and lashed out a blow that will not soon be forgotten. But just how bad was Sandy, meteorologically speaking? |
| It turns out that in some ways Sandy was unprecedented. For instance, we never see hurricane-like storms come up the coast and hook left at almost 90-degree angle like Sandy. They almost always go out to sea. Yet, in other ways, Sandy did fall short according to some meteorological precedent. | It turns out that in some ways Sandy was unprecedented. For instance, we never see hurricane-like storms come up the coast and hook left at almost 90-degree angle like Sandy. They almost always go out to sea. Yet, in other ways, Sandy did fall short according to some meteorological precedent. |
| Let's run down five weather statistics that puts the meteorological aspects of Sandy in perspective. | Let's run down five weather statistics that puts the meteorological aspects of Sandy in perspective. |
| 1. 940 millibars | 1. 940 millibars |
| Sandy broke the all-time record for lowest pressure north of the Carolinas by 6 millibars previously held by the Long Island Express of 1938. The formula here is pretty simple: lower pressure = stronger storm. Thus you might say that Sandy is the strongest storm on record in north-east history. It's this low pressure that helped to create the massive rain, snow, tide, and wind seen throughout the storm. | Sandy broke the all-time record for lowest pressure north of the Carolinas by 6 millibars previously held by the Long Island Express of 1938. The formula here is pretty simple: lower pressure = stronger storm. Thus you might say that Sandy is the strongest storm on record in north-east history. It's this low pressure that helped to create the massive rain, snow, tide, and wind seen throughout the storm. |
| More amazingly, Sandy's lowest pressures occurred as it approached landfall. Often we see storms weaken as they come closer. That was not the case here. Sandy hit at 946 millibars. We saw the pressure drop to 948 millibars in Atlantic City, which was right about where Sandy made landfall. In fact, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Scranton, and Trenton all set their all time record low pressure. | More amazingly, Sandy's lowest pressures occurred as it approached landfall. Often we see storms weaken as they come closer. That was not the case here. Sandy hit at 946 millibars. We saw the pressure drop to 948 millibars in Atlantic City, which was right about where Sandy made landfall. In fact, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Scranton, and Trenton all set their all time record low pressure. |
| 2. 12.49 inches | 2. 12.49 inches |
| About a foot of rain was the highest amount I could find from Sandy. It occurred right near landfall in Talbot County, Maryland. Most rainfall amounts in the area were from the 8 to 10in mark. A wider area of 6in extended to Baltimore and southern New Jersey. | About a foot of rain was the highest amount I could find from Sandy. It occurred right near landfall in Talbot County, Maryland. Most rainfall amounts in the area were from the 8 to 10in mark. A wider area of 6in extended to Baltimore and southern New Jersey. |
| The rainfall from Sandy did not come anywhere close to breaking records. You can take a look at a rainfall map from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and see why spread 12+ inch rainfall amounts all over the place. New York City didn't even get an inch of rain from Sandy. | The rainfall from Sandy did not come anywhere close to breaking records. You can take a look at a rainfall map from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and see why spread 12+ inch rainfall amounts all over the place. New York City didn't even get an inch of rain from Sandy. |
| Can you imagine the flooding issues in New York had the rainfall been heavier? | Can you imagine the flooding issues in New York had the rainfall been heavier? |
| 3. 96mph | 3. 96mph |
| The wind from Sandy was quite impressive. The highest gust seemed to have occurred in Eatons Neck, New York. Wind gusts were measured 90mph at Islip, 89 in Surf City, New Jersey, 85 at Plum Island, New York, and 79 at JFK airport. The maximum sustained wind occurred at landfall around Atlantic City of about 80mph. | The wind from Sandy was quite impressive. The highest gust seemed to have occurred in Eatons Neck, New York. Wind gusts were measured 90mph at Islip, 89 in Surf City, New Jersey, 85 at Plum Island, New York, and 79 at JFK airport. The maximum sustained wind occurred at landfall around Atlantic City of about 80mph. |
| None of these winds broke any sort of records for the north-east. Battery Park, for example, experienced 113mph wind gusts in 1954. Hurricane Donna nailed New England with sustained winds of nearly 100mph in 1960. There are other examples too. | None of these winds broke any sort of records for the north-east. Battery Park, for example, experienced 113mph wind gusts in 1954. Hurricane Donna nailed New England with sustained winds of nearly 100mph in 1960. There are other examples too. |
| What Sandy illustrates is that you don't need record-breaking winds to knock out power to millions of people. Hurricane gusts are more than enough to bring down power lines and cause a lot of damage. | What Sandy illustrates is that you don't need record-breaking winds to knock out power to millions of people. Hurricane gusts are more than enough to bring down power lines and cause a lot of damage. |
| 4. 13.88 feet | 4. 13.88 feet |
| The record high water level at Battery Park was set last evening. That crushed the record previously set by the aforementioned Donna in 1960 of about 11ft. The result was a tide that took water from New York harbor, the Hudson river, and the East river and put it right into New York City. | The record high water level at Battery Park was set last evening. That crushed the record previously set by the aforementioned Donna in 1960 of about 11ft. The result was a tide that took water from New York harbor, the Hudson river, and the East river and put it right into New York City. |
| The practical damages reflected this meteorological phenomenon. We saw the boardwalk in Atlantic City destroyed because of Sandy. We saw power cut off to places in New York City, where it's always on, because the underground generators had to be shut off. The underground power supply was not implemented with the idea that we could get a 14ft tide in Manhattan. | The practical damages reflected this meteorological phenomenon. We saw the boardwalk in Atlantic City destroyed because of Sandy. We saw power cut off to places in New York City, where it's always on, because the underground generators had to be shut off. The underground power supply was not implemented with the idea that we could get a 14ft tide in Manhattan. |
| That's why the surge is what we are going to remember about Sandy for a long time to come. | That's why the surge is what we are going to remember about Sandy for a long time to come. |
| 5. 2 feet | 5. 2 feet |
| We've already seen this much snow in West Virginia with more falling. By the time things are all said and done, we're going to be looking at 3ft of snow in some of the mountain elevations. The snow has been the under-reported story of this storm. Along with heavy winds, it has caused blizzard conditions in the Appalachian mountains. | We've already seen this much snow in West Virginia with more falling. By the time things are all said and done, we're going to be looking at 3ft of snow in some of the mountain elevations. The snow has been the under-reported story of this storm. Along with heavy winds, it has caused blizzard conditions in the Appalachian mountains. |
| You can look at a map and see that the snow has not just been contained to West Virginia, but has also spread all the way to North Carolina. The 9in of snow that fell in Sugar Mountain, North Carolina has led the earliest opening of the Sugar Mountain ski resort on record. | You can look at a map and see that the snow has not just been contained to West Virginia, but has also spread all the way to North Carolina. The 9in of snow that fell in Sugar Mountain, North Carolina has led the earliest opening of the Sugar Mountain ski resort on record. |
| Combined with last year's snowfall closer to the coast, we have now had two consecutive years of back-breaking October snowfalls in the eastern United States. | Combined with last year's snowfall closer to the coast, we have now had two consecutive years of back-breaking October snowfalls in the eastern United States. |
| Overall, these statistics indicate that Sandy was in some ways meteorologically unprecedented and in others not nearly as historic. The damage received was, however, something many of us will never forget. | Overall, these statistics indicate that Sandy was in some ways meteorologically unprecedented and in others not nearly as historic. The damage received was, however, something many of us will never forget. |
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