Hurricane Sandy: 2 Years Later

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 of Montclair, the long gas lines all around the tri-state area and the countless homes left without power or completely destroyed.

Here is a timeline of events as reported by the Montclair Patch surrounding the events of the hurricane:

October 26, 2012 - Prior to the storm, the Red Cross released a list of items to have on hand during the storm in case of emergency. At the time residents were encouraged to prepare for the worst, but very few could have predicted what would happen in the coming days.

October 27, 2012 - Residents were urged to stock up on foodstuffs and to be prepared in the event that Hurricane Sandy did hit land. At the time, Montclair’s Business Manager Marc Dashield alerted residents that the town would be at “a be at a heightened sense of readiness,” additionally, the township of Montclair was prepared to, “provide shelters for residents who lose power on an as-needed basis.”

November 2, 2012 - Following the storm, countless residents submitted photos of the scenes around their homes and the rest of the town. As the photos show, there were uprooted trees on almost every block.

December 20, 2012 - When the storm initially hit in fall of 2012, Montclair public schools were closed for six days, lasting from the end of October into the beginning of November. At this time the conversation began around which days vacation days would be used to make up for lost instruction time.

In April of 2013 a benefit concert was held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, where students from the School of Rock in Montclair, to raise funds for those affected by the superstorm. The money raised was donated to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

As for 2014, Meteorologists have predicted that this year would have fewer hurricanes than usual, but that if any should come, the MidAtlantic coast could be among the most vulnerable regions. But Hurricane Season is drawing to a close, and will end officially on November 30. So, you know, knock on wood.

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.