Superstorm Sandy hit New York City on October 29, 2012. Due to the convergence multiple meteorological factors, including high tide, New York City experienced a devastating blow. Much of Manhattan was without electricity for days, and many of New York City's waterfront neighborhoods have been decimated by flooding, including the Rockaways, Coney Island, and Red Hook.
Please Still Come to New York City!
Tourism is a huge part of the economy of New York City, and now that things are slowly returning to normal, I want to encourage you to plan your trip. Spending money in New York City is one way you can help the city recover.Visitors with existing travel plans are encouraged to confirm hotel reservations, and consult this list of Closed NYC Hotels from NYC & Co. Keep in mind that these attractions are closed as of November 5:
- Castle Clinton National Memorial
- Coney Island - this neighborhood has been hard hit by Sandy
- Ellis Island - closed until further notice
- Federal Hall National Memorial
- General Grant National Memorial
- Hamilton Grange National Memorial
- National Museum of the American Indian
- New York Aquarium - suffered extensive damage due to the storm and is closed indefinitely
- Rockaway Beach - this area has suffered extensive damage due to Sandy
- South Street Seaport - closed due to flooding damage. Hopes to re-open next week
- Statue of Liberty - closed until further notice
Transportation in New York City
The flooding in New York City has had a serious impact on New York City's transportation. The MTA and Port Authority have been working hard to get things back to normal, but that takes time. WNYC has put together a comprehensive Transit Tracker that is frequently updated to reflect the changing landscape of New York City area transit. Coverage includes the latest subway services, airports, bridges/tunnels, regional rail, Amtrak and more. As of November 5, things have been largely restored, but crowding and delays are a problem.How To Help
If you want to volunteer to help with the recovery, these organizations are coordinating efforts to help in the most hard-hit areas. Volunteers are needed to help with cleaning up after Sandy, providing support in shelters, cooking food, helping to organize and distribute donations, and more.- Occupy Sandy Relief - Created by a coalition of people and organizations, Occupy Sandy Relief is working to distribute volunteers and resources to areas that need them.
- NYC Service - This New York City site has information about volunteering at NYC parks, donating blood, and links to many organizations working around NYC to help with the recovery.
- Consider Donating Blood - Hurricanes and other disasters often impact the supply (both by increased need and decreased donations) so consider donating blood at your local blood bank.
Where To Donate
If you can't donate your time, there are lots of places that can use your financial support as they work to help people recover and rebuild after the storm.- Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City - Donations will go to both short-term and long-term needs, 100% of donations are being dispersed to relief organizations to aid their efforts.
- Occupy Sandy Relief - You can make a tax-deductible donation to support their efforts.
- American Red Cross - Donations to Red Cross's Disaster Relief fund help provide shelter and medical assistance to people impacted by events like Superstorm Sandy.
- Some shelters and organizations serving those displaced by the storm have put together wish-lists on Amazon. This makes it easy to be sure that your money is going toward things that the organizations need. A few options include Sandy Relief Donations for Staten Island, Occupy Sandy Animals, Sandy's Kids, Hurricane Sandy Cleanup and Relief, Hurricane Sandy Relief - Far Rockaway, and Sandy Relief Wishlist.
