What is a Superstorm?

3/8/2018 (Permalink)

When you mention Hurricane Sandy, everyone knows exactly what you are talking about. The superstorm of the century that greatly affected our local area of Long Island New York. What you may not know is what exactly makes a storm a “superstorm”. In this blog we will discuss just that.

Sandy had begun as a normal hurricane getting energy from the warm waters of the Caribbean. She then made a sharp left which pushed her to collide with a winter storm like system. The warm water crashing into the cold wintry atmosphere caused the hurricane to morph into a winter cyclone and drastically increase in size.

Winds then began to about 1000 miles across which resulted in record breaking storm surges in coastal areas and in turn, blizzard conditions to the mountains. Parking lots became small lakes as this storm progressed, leaving residents to return home after evacuation to find many of their belongings floating near their homes. Mountainous piles of sand filled the streets and cars and boats were pushed around almost effortlessly by the intense winds and extreme water levels. The results of this superstorm were nothing short of devastating.

A “superstorm” is really a general term used by meteorologists when there are so many components making up the extreme weather that it cannot be classified as just one thing, such as a hurricane or blizzard. There is actually no formal definition for this term as it still fairly new. While there may be no specific definition, the dramatic effects speak for themselves.

If another superstorm is to ever hit Long Island do not hesitate to contact us at SERVPRO of Garden City/Hempstead (516) 620-4579, as we will be prepared to help in any way possible with our crew of experienced professional technicians and our extensive collection of professional water mitigation equipment.