Is There Life After Frankenstorm?

IS THERE LIFE AFTER FRANKENSTORM? How Are Americans Holding On in the Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy? Natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes. Hurricanes and earthquakes, tornadoes and hail storms. STORM AHEAD We call them human names - Andrea, Georges, Helene, Katrina - easy to remember and identify, and we do our best to stay strong and resilient in the face of utter destruction and despair. Here we take a look at the destructive impact of the Sandy hurricane and at how Americans managed to survive and recover from the ordeal. WREAKING HAVOC Frankenstorm by the Numbers Superstorm Sandy was the most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second-most expensive hurricane in the history of the U.S. Combining three separate storm fronts, it concentrated its fury on the East Coast of America, causing many deaths and billions of dollars in property damage: $68,000,000,000 18,000 Flights cancelled Estimated damage in the areas affected 4,500 8,500,000 Residents of New Jersey in shelters Americans without power 55,000 286 Businesses unable to People killed connect to power grid 5 RECORDS SET BY SANDY O Largest hurricane to have formed in the Atlantic basin, with a gale diameter of 1,000 miles. > Largest number of power outages - over 8 million people left in the dark > Highest storm surge - 13.88 feet at Battery Park > Most debilitating event in the history of the New York subway system, caused by the flooding of every major subway line. Longest shutdown of the New York Stock Exchange in the last century OTHER COUNTRIES AFFECTED (Financial Losses, Fatalities) THE BAHAMAS CUBA CANADA HAITI JAMAICA $700 million, $2 billion, $100 million, $750 million, $100 million, 2 deaths 11 deaths 1 death 54 deaths 1 death In the top 5 costliest and deadliest hurricanes in the U.S. history, Sandy comes second: Hurricane Katrina, 2005 $125 billion, Hurricane Sandy, 1833 deaths 2012 Hurricane Ike, $68 billion, 2008 Hurricane Andrew, 286 deaths Hurricane Wilma, $37.5 billion, 1992 2005 195 deaths $26.5 billion, $29.3 billion, 23 deaths 65 deaths PICKING UP THE PIECES Although the road to Sandy recovery is long and challenging, Americans are doing their best to move on with their lives. According to a survey published earlier this year by The Associated Press, in partnership with the NORC Center for Public Affairs, it's not an easy feat. RECOVERY: GETTING HELP: 41% received help from friends, family and neighbors 55% of people in the most affected regions declared their neighborhoods have recovered completely 16% resorted to federal agencies 71% consider themselves to have recovered emotionally contacted the state government 5% believe their neighborhoods will never 31% of people who contacted local utility companies said they were satisfied with the help they received recover 19% of people who contacted federal agencies were satisfied with the help they received, while 38% said the feds were of little or no help. GIVING HELP: 63% of Americans in the hurricane's path and 54% of those unaffected reported giving money, clothing and other items to charity FUTURE: 78% of Americans outside the storm's path chose to offer some kind of assistance, although none of their friends and family were among the 94% of Sandy victims decided to continue living at the same address. victims. 50% of those living in affected areas believe they are at risk to be affected by future natural disasters. SANDY FOR HOMEOWNERS Tens of billions of dollars were lost in property damage, lost output and disruption of business in the U.S, making Sandy the second most destructive hurricane in postwar history. Estimates of Property Claim Services as of January, 2013 indicate a total number of 3,883,100 of insurance claims amounting to $33.85 billion, most of which belong to New York and New Jersey. Property Loss by Region Hoboken, New Jersey Red Hook Fire Island 1,000 commercial and 300,000 square feet, 100,000 homes damaged residential properties $50 million or destroyed affected, $1 billion Jersey Shore Residential properties Staten Island 14,000 homes lost, most impacted, 22 storm-related deaths $1 billion How can a Property Damage Lawyer help you? Help settle the claim faster Protect your rights in the eventuality the insurer refuses to pay a claim or offers to settle for less Maximize payout according to your insurance policy Ultimately, it's hard to project the economic impact and repercussions of such major natural disasters. But although there's little people can do to avoid nature's fury, what they can do is better prepare for it, and do their best to recover damages. Sources: www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats/sum12.pdf www.econ.yale.edu/-nordhaus/homepage/documents/Nordhaus_Hurricanes_CCE_1_1.pdf www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2012/h2012_Sandy.html www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_costliest_Atlantic_hurricanes www.apnorc.org/Pages/default.aspx Brought you by: www.noaa.gov www.therealdeal.com/issues_articles/surveying-the-destruction IW LAWLOR WINSTON WHITE & MURPHEY www.census.gov www.lawlorwinston.com