Hurricane Sandy struck with a vengeance on Oct. 29, 2012, causing unprecedented destruction as 80 mph winds and record storm surges wreaked havoc across the East Coast. Take a look back at the destruction caused by the destructive hurricane as the city marks its 11th anniversary.
Hurricane Sandy struck with a vengeance on Oct. 29, 2012, causing unprecedented destruction as 80 mph winds and record storm surges wreaked havoc across the East Coast, flooding tunnels, destroying homes and leaving more than 8 million without power. The superstorm is one of the costliest to ever hit the region, with property damages estimated at around $20 billion. Here, an aerial shot shows the burnt remains of Breezy Point, a beachfront neighborhood in Queens destroyed by fires during the monster hurricane.
Here, a car sits crushed under debris after the hurricane ripped through Breezy Point, Queens, leaving a huge path of destruction.
An American flag stands out among the debris that makes up the now burnt-out neighborhood of Breezy Point on Nov. 1, 2012.
Employees toss out damaged goods from an Acme supermarket into a dumpster following Superstorm Sandy on Nov. 5, 2012, in Long Beach Township, New Jersey. The employees volunteered to perform the task of cleaning out the store on the first day that residents were allowed to return to Long Beach Island.
Residents hold hands as they walk together to survey damage incurred by fire and Hurricane Sandy in the Queens borough region of Breezy Point in New York on November 6, 2012.
The Battery Park Underpass remains underwater on Nov. 2, 2012, four days after Sandy’s record-breaking 13-foot surge pummeled much of lower Manhattan.
An aid distribution site in Staten Island hands out blankets to victims as plummeting temperatures add to the strife of those living in hard-hit disaster zones.
A girl cries into her sweatshirt as she and her family return to what remains of their home in the burned down neighborhood of Breezy Point on Nov. 1, 2012. Between 80 and 100 homes are estimated to have been lost in the storm.
Evacuees continue to occupy Brooklyn Tech High School in Brooklyn on Nov. 1, 2012. The school, currently used as a shelter for displaced residents as a result of Hurricane Sandy, is tentatively scheduled to resume classes on Nov. 5, 2012.
Residents in Bensonhurst, N.Y. embrace as they observe the extensive damage done to their homes during Hurricane Sandy.
Greg Hauck and his wife Linda Hauck of Totenville, Staten Island, remember their friend George Dresch and his 13-year-old daughter Angela Dresch. Both were killed after their house was swept away in the storm on Oct. 29, 2012.
A family in Bensonhurst checks out the destroyed remains of their storm-torn homes on Oct. 29, 2012.
President Barack Obama embraces a resident of Brigantine, N.J. as he tours the neighborhood severely affected by Sandy. Donna Vanzant (r.) is the owner of North Point Marina, which was damaged by the storm.
President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tour storm damage in Brigantine, N.J., on Oct. 31, 2012.
Mark Baronowski of Bay Head, N.J., begins the arduous process of shoveling sand from the living room of one destroyed home on Nov. 4, 2012.
Residents in need of fuel wait in line with empty containers while the National Guard distributes free gasoline outside the Brooklyn Armory on Nov. 3, 2012. In many parts of New Jersey and New York, people were forced to wait for hours to fill up empty gas cans, with lines stretching on for blocks. At some stations, fuel was rationed to 10 gallons per vehicle.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo teams up with the New York State National Guard to help distribute food and water to Sandy victims in Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, still struggling to recover in the storm’s aftermath on Nov. 4, 2012.
Storm relief comes via helicopter as the Navy-Marine Corps comes in to help out with rebuilding efforts in New York and New Jersey on Nov. 3, 2012.
A home stands almost completely gutted in Union Beach, N.J., following Hurricane Sandy.
The New York City Marathon may have been canceled, but thousands of runners are still putting their energy to work as they help deliver relief supplies to struggling neighborhoods in Staten Island on Nov. 4, 2012. More than 1,000 racers made the trip on Sunday, the day the marathon was scheduled to take place.
A young girl sifts through piles of clothing donated to victims living in the now decimated Rockaways in Queens on Nov. 4, 2012.
The magnitude of water damage is evident near Midland Avenue in Staten Island as residents return to their flooded neighborhood on Nov. 1, 2012.
A neighborhood in Union Beach, N.J. is flattened in the disastrous wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Residents return to their destroyed neighborhood for the first time in Breezy Point, Queens, to try to dig out belongings from the debris on Oct. 31, 2012. Around 100 of the community’s homes were lost in Hurricane Sandy.
Residents in Far Rockaway, Queens, wait in line as FEMA hands out food and water on Nov. 2, 2012.
People wait for hours in line to get gasoline for their cars and generators in the still powerless Belleville, N.J. Hundreds of residents stood in line with empty gas cans at open gas stations throughout New Jersey and New York.
Long lines wrap around the block at a Hess gas station in Harlem as people wait to fill up containers with gasoline on Nov. 2, 2012. Many gas stations in New York and New Jersey reported they were out of gasoline.
Nearly half a million people in evacuation zones were forced to leave their homes as Sandy approached, bringing with her dangerous winds and high floodwaters. Here, an aerial shot shows devastation along the New Jersey coast following Sandy’s trail of destruction.
A trailer is completely destroyed as a result of Hurricane Sandy in Highlands, N.J., on Nov. 1, 2012.
A woman and her dog sit amidst the rubble in the devastated neighborhood of Breezy Point in Queens on Nov. 1, 2012.
Homes in Mantoloking, N.J., are in complete ruin after the superstorm pummeled the East Coast. At least 74 people have died in the U.S. because of the storm, including 37 in New York City.
As large parts of New York City go days without electricity following Hurricane Sandy, people are forced to come up with creative ways to charge up their cell phones and electronic devices. Here, a man rides a stationary bicycle to generate free power for residents looking to charge up in Manhattan’s East Village on Nov. 1, 2012
Park Choul stands behind the counter of his East Village deli, lit up only by flashlights because of massive power outages affecting the region on Nov. 1, 2012. Choul kept his store open throughout all of Hurricane Sandy.
Residents return to the destruction of their Rockaway neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on Nov. 1, 2012. About a dozen homes were destroyed by fire, wind and floodwaters near 130th St. and Newport in the hard-hit Queens community.
Limited power and cell service cause some residents in Manhattan’s East Village to use a pay phone on Oct. 31, 2012.
Seagulls flock to debris littering the storm ravaged beaches of Rockaway, Queens, on Nov. 1, 2012.
A gas pump completely emptied of gasoline is wrapped in plastic at a Hess station in Coney Island on Nov. 1, 2012.
Many residents of Belle Harbor, Queens, return to find Unsafe Area notices left on their homes in the burned out neighborhood in Queens on Nov. 1, 2012.
The enormous force of Hurricane Sandy docked the 700 ton John B. Caddell tanker along the Staten Island waterfront.
Residents of Breezy Point, Queens, try to salvage whatever belongings they can find from their destroyed homes on Nov. 1, 2012.
A man photographs damage in his neighborhood caused by fire after Hurricane Sandy ripped through Belle Harbor, Queens on Oct. 30, 2012.
Standing on top of the boardwalk, an NYPD officer looks at Hurricane Sandy’s devastating aftermath throughout the Rockaways in Queens on Nov. 1, 2012.
An aerial view shows the extensive flooding and damage along the New Jersey coastline.
Long Island resident Gary Silberman walks through a pile of debris outside his Lindenhurst home after it was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy.
Patients are evacuated from Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, which had been running on backup generators after Hurricane Sandy caused massive blackouts throughout New York City.
The South Ferry-Whitehall Subway Terminal in lower Manhattan is completely submerged underwater because of Hurricane Sandy’s record-breaking storm surge. New York City’s subway tunnels sustained its worst damage in 108 years, according to MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhota.
The Manhattan skyline is left eerily dark as thousands go without electricity in New York City. Con Edison reported 827,622 outages across the five boroughs, with more than 270,000 without power in Manhattan alone.
With power out throughout most of New York City, residents in Manhattan’s East Village attempt to charge up their cell phones using a generator and power chords supplied by a local theater troupe on Oct. 31, 2012.
To combat dropping temperatures following Hurricane Sandy, New Yorkers build a makeshift campfire to stay warm on Oct. 31, 2012.
Little remains of the houses and buildings along the beach in Atlantic City, N.J., not far from where the superstorm made landfall on Oct. 29, 2012.
Subway service wasn’t the only form of transportation affected by the storm. Here, a parking lot full of cabs is submerged underwater in Hoboken, N.J. as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
Nicholas Rodriguez watches the waves from the destroyed boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., on Oct. 30, 2012. Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Atlantic City near 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2012.
Bystanders snap pictures of an apartment building on Eighth Ave. in Chelsea after it lost its entire front facade during Hurricane Sandy’s high winds the night before on Oct. 29, 2012.
Cars crash into the boardwalk near Rockaway Beach as the result of Hurricane Sandy. The superstorm left much of coastal Queens in ruins.
A parked police car blocks traffic from crossing a closed-off bridge at 207th St. between the Bronx and upper Manhattan.
A car sits damaged by a large log in the devastated neighborhood of Breezy Point in Queens on Oct. 30, 2012.
A massive blaze leaves the beachfront neighborhood of Breezy Point, Queens, in shambles. Locals suggest generators could be to blame for the devastating fire that left hundreds homeless.
After the storm, vehicles were seen almost completely submerged in a parking garage on Stone St. in Lower Manhattan on Oct. 31, 2012.
Water rushed into the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel in Manhattan’s Financial District on Oct. 29, 2013. The force of the storm caused the city to close all its bus, subway and commuter rail services, leaving many people stranded.
A firefighter sits among the smoldering rubble in Breezy Point, Queens, after the Rockaway neighborhood was ravaged by flames that destroyed 100 homes.
A boat gets washed across the tracks at Metro-North’s Ossining Station in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012.
A man surveys the damage after a fire ripped through Belle Harbor in the beachfront neighborhood of Belle Harbor in Queens.
The lower levels of a building in Manhattan’s Battery Park area is completely submerged under floodwaters following Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012.
Floodwaters consume houses along the New Jersey coastline in this aerial image, taken during a search and rescue mission by the New Jersey Army National Guard on Oct. 30, 2012.
An Instagram photo taken by Ana Andjelic during the storm shows Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park completely surrounded by floodwaters on Oct. 30, 2012.
Water and debris flood the area around South Street, one of the more flooded parts of Manhattan, on Oct. 30, 2012.
A parking lot looks more like a lake as New Jersey transit buses remain submerged under water in Hoboken, N.J. on Oct. 30, 2012.
Trees litter the streets on Manhattan’s Lower East Side thanks to the astounding force of Hurricane Sandy’s winds.
A boat smashes up against a parked car on Ebbits Ave. after floodwaters rip through the Cedar Grove section of the New Dorp Beach in Staten Island.
President Barack Obama visits the National Red Cross Headquarters in Washington to address damage resulting from Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012.
People are forced to evacuate from their homes in Little Ferry, one of the harder hit areas of New Jersey.
Rescue workers help people into boats as they evacuate Little Ferry, N.J. following Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012.
Rescue workers assist an elderly woman evacuate her home in Little Ferry, N.J. on Oct. 30, 2012.
Floodwaters turn a residential street into a river in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint on Oct. 29, 2012.
Signage at a BP gas station on Second Avenue and East Second Street in Manhattan topples over because of the high winds from Hurricane Sandy.
Widespread flooding had catastrophic effects on homes like this one in Atlantique, a coastal community on Fire Island, New York.
Storm waters leave a Duane Reade in lower Manhattan damaged and in chaos on Oct. 30, 2012.
The rain is already coming down and coastlines are overflowing as the East Coast braces for Hurricane Sandy. For the second time in a year, New York City is under complete lockdown, with subways ending service in anticipation of the storm. At this point, waves and feet of stormwater have already breached New York City coastlines hours before Sandy has even made landfall. Storm waves have also surged all the way up the East Coast to Massachusetts. Here, rushing water crashes over Winthrop, Mass. as Hurricane Sandy makes her way up the coast.
A tree smashes into an unlucky car parked along West 100th Street and Central Park West on Oct. 30, 2012.
A window is smashed following a storm surge in the Atlantique community on Fire Island, N.Y, on Oct. 30, 2012. The neighborhood was one of many to feel the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.
Waves come crashing on waterfront homes in Keyport, N.J. on Oct. 29, 2012.
Residents in Breezy Point, Queens, are forced to travel by canoe after heavy rains flood the streets following Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012.
In Little Ferry, N.J., resident Marco Celdo makes his way through flooded streets as he travels to a nearby town to find power on Oct. 31, 2012.
An abandoned home stands its ground among the flooding water in Southampton, N.Y. on Oct. 29, 2012.
Waves slam the coast of Gravesend Bay hours before Sandy has even made landfall on Oct. 29, 2012.
Wind gusts 90 stories above the abandoned streets of New York City have caused a crane to collapse near 57th St. and Seventh Ave. in Manhattan on Oct. 29, 2012. No one has been injured, but police and firefighters are on hand as the structure dangles over the Big Apple.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all MTA Bridges and Tunnels to close on Oct. 29, 2012. Here, a truck blocks entrance to the Holland Tunnel which connects New York City and New Jersey.
People stand in line outside a Shell gas station in Edison, N.J. as they wait to fill empty containers with fuel on Oct. 30, 2012.
Atlantic City, New Jersey’s coastal gambling hub, is being battered by Hurricane Sandy. Here, the White Horse Pike, which leads into Atlantic City, is enveloped by storm waves early in the day on Oct. 29, 2012.
The casinos in Atlantic City, N.J. were ordered to close by noon on Oct. 29, 2012, by Gov. Chris Christie. By that time, water had already flooded the boardwalk and adjacent casinos.
Surging waters from Hurricane Sandy make landfall on the Shore Parkway in New York on Oct. 29, 2012.
Residents across the Hudson River react to the flooded train station in Hoboken, N.J. Train service between New Jersey and New York was also been suspended.
Residents of Edgewater Park boldly stand along the Long Island Sound on Oct. 29, 2012. Water from the sound rushed onto the streets of the Bronx.
Safety barriers in the coastal Southampton, N.Y. were breached by Hurricane Sandy’s rushing waters on Oct. 29, 2012.
Though some brave residents are staying put, many coastal areas were forced to evacuate. Burger King locations in the city remained open for the time being, but all financial markets were officially down. Here, a woman braves the rain at 69th St. in Bay Ridge, New York.
Brave New Yorkers ride out the storm atop a bench at Riverbank Park on Oct. 29, 2012.
“Do not underestimate this storm … They are talking about surges we have not seen before,” Gov. Cuomo warned at a morning briefing on Oct. 29, 2012. However, many residents continued to dot the coasts of the Big Apple to catch a glimpse of the rising tides.
New York City shut down all 468 of its subway stations as of Oct. 29, 2012. For flood-prone areas, like this Battery Park subway stop, entrances were barricaded with plywood and sandbags in an effort to stop the water.
The water surrounding New York City looks ominous and vicious in the hours leading up to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29, 2012.
In Red Hook, Brooklyn Hurricane Sandy has already flooded to knee-deep depths as of noon on Oct. 29, 2012.
The superstorm was expected to make landfall somewhere between Virginia and Massachusetts early Tuesday, possibly causing chaos during the frenzied last days of campaigning before the Nov. 6, 2012, U.S. presidential vote.
People stranded in Hoboken without power wait for the New York Waterways ferry on Nov. 1, 2012, while the blacked out Manhattan skyline looms in the background. Con Edison reported 827,622 outages across the five boroughs, with more than 270,000 without power in Manhattan alone.
A Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee tapes off the turnstiles to bar access to the subway in New York on October 28, 2012.
A man runs through Grand Central Station on Oct. 28, 2012, in an attempt to make the last Metro-North train out of the city. The MTA warned that the trains could be down for 2-3 days.
It’s lights out at Grand Central! One of the busiest hubs in all of New York City is shut down by nightfall on Oct. 28, 2012, as forecasters warn water may surge as high as 11 feet.
The sign above these passengers warns that train service will be suspended as of 7 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2012.