News in Review – January 2013 – Teacher Resource Guide
SUPERSTORM SANDY
SETTING THE STAGE
The birth of a “Frankenstorm”
Meteorologists knew the storm was going to be
huge as it ripped through the Caribbean islands
and began heading north along the Eastern
Seaboard. Besides the fact that the tropical
storm had been upgraded to a hurricane, experts
noted that a “block” in the jet stream caused by
a high pressure cell over Greenland meant that
the storm would not follow the typical pattern of
blowing out to sea. Instead, it would turn west
and hit the northern United States with
tremendous force. Combine this with the fact
that the storm was scheduled to hit at high tide
on a full moon and it became clear that the
media wasn’t out of line when it called
Superstorm Sandy a “Frankenstorm.”
Sandy packs a punch
And the “Frankenstorm” sure packed a punch!
After wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, the
storm made landfall in the U.S. around 8:00 pm
on October 29, 2012. Sandy pounded Atlantic
City, New Jersey, before making its way through
24 states (over 30 per cent of the continental
U.S.), eventually petering out as it moved out of
Pennsylvania.
Sandy’s devastation was profound: over 250
people were killed (including 131 in the United
States and two people in Canada), thousands of
homes and business were damaged or destroyed,
and vital infrastructure was shattered from the
streets of Jamaica to the mountains of the
northern United States. At its largest,
Superstorm Sandy stretched over 1 500
kilometres in diameter with wind speeds
consistently over 100 km/hr. In its wake,
Superstorm Sandy left over eight million people
without power in the United States, some going
without electricity for several days. Insurance
companies braced themselves for the $20 billion
in claims that started streaming in and financial
experts pegged the economic costs of the storm
at over $60 billion in the U.S. alone.
Blanket coverage of storm
Media coverage of the damage done by Sandy as
it hit the U.S. was extensive. Images of waves
destroying beachfront communities were all over
the news. Cameras were glued to a crane,
knocked down by Sandy’s high winds, dangling
precariously over midtown Manhattan. There
was also extensive footage of the famous
Atlantic City boardwalk, twisted and destroyed
by the force of the storm. Meanwhile, coverage
of a huge fire that engulfed a neighbourhood in
Queens, destroying over 80 homes, captured the
attention of people around the world. It was an
incredibly well documented storm and media
personnel were on hand to make sure viewers
were able to see what they wanted to see.
Caused by climate change
While coverage of the effects of the storm were
plentiful, reports linking Superstorm Sandy to
climate change were buried beneath a mountain
of journalism dealing with property damage and
the effects of the storm on the economy.
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JANUARY 2013 — SUPERSTORM SANDY
Meanwhile, climatologists were quick to point
out that Superstorm Sandy was likely a byproduct of global climate change. Unfortunately,
this perspective was given limited attention.
According to the experts, carbon emissions have
caused ocean temperatures to steadily rise over
the years. Warm ocean temperatures create an
environment conducive to extreme weather
events. As a result, so-called “once in a lifetime”
storms are now common occurrences. Members
of the scientific community were hoping that
media coverage of the storm would lead to
renewed interest in climate change initiatives.
However, in the days following Superstorm
Sandy, the devastation dominated the news cycle
while the causes of the storm were left for the
scientific community to ponder and debate into
the future.
To Consider
1. Why did the media refer to Superstorm Sandy as a “Frankenstorm”?
2. List four points that demonstrate the power of Superstorm Sandy.
3. a) What did the media coverage of the storm focus on?
b) What did the scientific community hope that the media would focus on? Why?
JANUARY 2013 — SUPERSTORM SANDY
VIDEO REVIEW
Pre-viewing Activity
Work with a partner and discuss the topic of extreme weather:

Describe the most extreme weather conditions your have experienced (e.g. high winds, blizzards,
flooding, hurricanes, etc.)

Was the extreme weather you experienced dangerous or life threatening?

Do you feel adequately prepared for extreme weather events?

Do you worry that there may be more extreme weather events in the future?
Viewing Questions
1. Why does the introduction to the documentary refer to Hurricane Sandy as a “Frankenstorm”? What
evidence was there to support this description?
2. What precautions did people living along the Eastern Seaboard need to take as the storm approached?
3. How many people did meteorologist Claire Martin think could be affected by the storm?
4. What troubling weather development created a situation where Sandy could be a potential “perfect
storm”?
5. What establishments closed their doors (and this never happens!) due to the imminent threat of the
storm?
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JANUARY 2013 — SUPERSTORM SANDY
6. How many people did storm watchers worry would lose their electricity if Superstorm Sandy
travelled along its predicted course?
7. Why did the timing of the storm surge concern experts? Besides high tide, what other factors
demonstrated that many natural events were aligning to make this a huge storm threat?
8. Why did officials fear that skepticism might lead to fatalities?
9. How many kilometres wide was the storm?
10. Describe some of the damage Superstorm Sandy delivered as it smashed into the Eastern Seaboard.
11. How much of the United States was effected by the storm?
12. How badly hit was New York City? Describe some of the things people had to deal with as the storm
raged on.
13. How many people were without power in the wake of Superstorm Sandy?
14. How much money do some analysts think it will take to fix the structural damage done by Superstorm
Sandy?
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JANUARY 2013 — SUPERSTORM SANDY
Post-viewing
1. Do you think the emergence of Superstorm Sandy is a reflection of climate change?
2. Do you think coastal cities need to invest more in combating future storms?
3. What if combating these storms means raising taxes? Is it worth the financial investment?
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JANUARY 2013 — SUPERSTORM SANDY
ACTIVITY: Write a News Report
Use the following information to prepare a news report on Hurricane Sandy:
October 19 – a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea coverts to a tropical depression then a tropical storm
within a six-hour period.
October 24 - Tropical Storm Sandy (the 18th named storm of 2012) is upgraded to a hurricane. With
wind speeds of 120 km/hr, Hurricane Sandy batters Jamaica, killing one and causing over $50 million in
damages. The hurricane then crosses Haiti (killing over 100) and the Dominican Republic (killing two),
causing over $100 million in damages.
October 25 – Hurricane Sandy hits Cuba, killing 11 and causing $2 billion in damages.
October 26 – Hurricane Sandy hits the Bahamas, killing 2 and causing $200 million in damages.
October 26-27 – Hurricane Sandy weakens to a tropical storm but then regains hurricane strength and
moves toward the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
October 28 – Hurricane Sandy moves out to sea but its periphery batters the U.S. east coast with rain
and high waves.
October 29 – Hurricane Sandy turns northwest and heads toward New Jersey and New York.
Downgraded to a post-tropical nor’easter, the storm hits the U.S. near Atlantic City, New Jersey, around
8:00pm local time. The storm hits at high tide and, because of the full moon, water levels are up to 20
per cent higher than normal as the storm begins its assault. Wind speeds approach 130 km/hr.
Shortly after touching down in Atlantic City, Superstorm Sandy hits New York City. The storm surge
generates record high waves of over four metres as water spills over sea walls and floods lower
Manhattan. Lower Manhattan subway stations around Battery Park are underwater.
October 30 – the New York Subway and the New York Stock Exchange shut down for the day. The
storm moves inland. High winds could be felt as far away as Toronto. Two Canadians are killed (a woman
in Toronto and a hydro worker in Sarnia). An estimated $100 million of damages are recorded in Canada.
By the end of October 31, the storm weakens as it moves out of Pennsylvania. At its peak, over eight
million people are without power in 15 U.S. states.
In all, over 250 people are killed by the storm as it moves from Cuba to Canada over 10 days.
In the U.S., 131 people are killed in the storm and damages approaching $60 billion are reported.
Source: “News Watch: A timeline of Hurricane Sandy’s path of destruction.” National Geographic, November 2, 2012.
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JANUARY 2013 — SUPERSTORM SANDY
Writing tips:
1. Avoid trying to squeeze all the information into your report. Pick and choose the information that you
feel is most important.
2. Use the information to tell a story. Try not to just throw a bunch of facts at your reader.
Length of news report: 250-500 words
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