Hurricane Sandy: Lessons Learned

Interesting article. I think Sandy was so bad because folks in that area are not used to hurricanes. I was a kid when hurricane Donna came through and shook things up in NJ. I missed hurricane Agnes in 1972 because I was a guest of my uncle on the far side of the world that year. Also, the hurricane was forecast as a category 1, which I think lulled some into a false sense of security. We have come to think of category 4 or 5 as the bad ones, like Katrina. Hurricane Irene was only a cat 1, but it kicked us around pretty good because it stalled in our area. Sandy was a slow-mover too, with high tidal conditions coinciding with landfall in the NY-NJ area. Only those with long memories or recent experience realized what they could be up against.

We were very lucky, no real damage to our boat from Sandy.

I had doubled all lines prior to the storm, and thankfully our slip was roomy enough and pilings tall enough for "Adagio" to ride the water 5' above the fixed dock.

I tied my dockbox down for fear it would rip loose and float away. This worked but the water rose over the top and filled the box ruining its contents.

As luck would have it I took my outboard motor stored in the box home a week before.

I think I will put the box in Adagio's cockpit next time, sort of an all or nothing approach.

Yes we never had a storm with a surge this high in NJ in my lifetime.

The iconic Jersey Shore structures I remember from my youth are now it ruin.

I am sure it will all be built back better than ever, but would it not be so bad if the barrier islands were just a natural place without overbuilding?

Never going to happen.

JohnP

ColonyCove said:

Interesting article. I think Sandy was so bad because folks in that area are not used to hurricanes. I was a kid when hurricane Donna came through and shook things up in NJ. I missed hurricane Agnes in 1972 because I was a guest of my uncle on the far side of the world that year. Also, the hurricane was forecast as a category 1, which I think lulled some into a false sense of security. We have come to think of category 4 or 5 as the bad ones, like Katrina. Hurricane Irene was only a cat 1, but it kicked us around pretty good because it stalled in our area. Sandy was a slow-mover too, with high tidal conditions coinciding with landfall in the NY-NJ area. Only those with long memories or recent experience realized what they could be up against.

Click to expand...

It's really because most of today's boaters really don't know or understand the water/shore/ocean...etc...etc.

ANYONE with a lick of brains and experience predicted exactly what was going to happen.

In 40+ years of boating in Hurricane areas from Florida (both coasts) to NJ....I never had to run from a hurricane because of a combination of factors. At 3-4 days out from Sandy hitting, most locals and marinas knew that this was going to break all tidal records. Yet NO ONE I knew including the criminally negligent marinas gave it much thought. Hauling or storing a boat within a couple miles of the coast was a disaster waiting to happen...that's why I ran 15 miles inland and the storm surge still got to me there. I escaped by inches from floating over the bulkhead I chose even though the eye went right over me.

In the big scheme of things...I say the vast majority of boaters should NOT be allowed to collect insurance as they made no REAL attempt to escape the storm, marinas should be held culpable, and those that made good decisions should be credited on their insurance bills for knowing WTFWGO.