Hurricane Sandy: Inside the Megastorm

Because of its timing—arriving on America's east coast around Halloween 2012—Hurricane Sandy was dubbed "Frankenstorm,” an apt moniker since it caused massive damage and immense human dislocation and misery, quickly becoming a storm for the record books. Filmmakers Tayla Tibbon and Jo Locke's PBS-aired NOVA documentary looks at superstorm Sandy—originating late in the season in the tropics—and the unusual convergence of weather conditions that fed its power and guided its trajectory to the low lying, highly populated centers of New Jersey and New York City. Perhaps lulled by the failure of the previous year's Hurricane Irene to live up to its hype, many residents ignored calls to evacuate, and when they later did try to leave, it was too late. Sandy hit the coast at high tide, covering an expanse of a thousand miles, with waves up to 40 feet at an energy equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs. Residents and rescuers describe the life and death situations, as the surge of saltwater flooded subway tunnels and power stations, blacking out power grids and leaving families to struggle in the dark. Massive winds fanned fires, destroying houses and businesses as high water levels prevented the fire department from giving help. In the end, more than one hundred people died, while meteorologists and urban planners were left to ponder: was this the result of global climate change, a once in a century storm, or the beginning of things to come? Experts here conclude that the future probably promises fewer but more powerful storms, noting that even while we must plan ahead, "mother nature rules" in the end. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)