Hurricane Sandy became the second costliest hurricane to hit the United States when it blew ashore in October 2012, killing 159 people and inflicting $71 billion in damage. Informally known as a "superstorm" after it made landfall, Sandy was so destructive largely because of its unusual size and track. After moving north from the tropical waters where it spawned, Sandy turned out to sea before hooking back west, growing in size and crashing head-on into the East Coast, gaining strength when it merged with an eastbound mid-latitude storm.
Image: IMAGE: THIS IMAGE DEPICTS THE OUTPUT OF A COMPUTER MODEL DESIGNED TO REPRODUCE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT CREATED HURRICANE (LATER SUPERSTORM) SANDY IN OCTOBER 2012, WITH ONE KEY DIFFERENCE:
