June 1, 2022

Hurricane Season Begins Ten Years After Superstorm Sandy

June 1, 2022, marks the start of hurricane season in New Jersey, ten years after our state was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy: October 22 – November 2, 2012. According to World Vision, Hurricane Sandy was the deadliest hurricane of 2012 and one of the most destructive hurricanes in history to hit the United States. It produced the highest waves ever recorded in the western Atlantic, causing devastating storm surges and floods throughout coastal New York and New Jersey. At one point, Sandy engulfed a swath of 800 miles between the East Coast and the Great Lakes region. The storm caused $70.2 billion worth of damage, left 8.5 million people without power, destroyed 650,000 homes and was responsible for the deaths of at least 72 Americans. While we have learned a great deal in these ten years, experts tell us we have barely made a dent in taking proactive steps towards protecting our communities from future storm-related destruction, all while climate change has resulted in more frequent and dangerous weather episodes.

Suzanne DiGeronimo, FAIA, presenting on the subject in October 2021

Over the next six months of hurricane season, we will be sharing articles from some of AIA New Jersey’s most notable resilient architecture experts including Suzanne DiGeronimo, FAIA F.SAME (Dist); Verity L. Frizzell, FAIA, CPHD; and Susan Pikaart Bristol, AIA, LEED AP, NJ P.P; along with updates from AIA NJ leaders like Justin A. Mihalik, AIA, NCARB; and Laurence E  Parisi, AIA; who brought our organization through the trenches during these episodes. 

In addition, we invite all of our members and allied professionals to contribute to our coverage on the state of affairs of resiliency in New Jersey with images and write-ups of your own. To participate, simply send your content in Word and JPG formats to staceykliesch@gmail.com to be considered. If your content meets the goals of this initiative and is selected, AIA NJ  reserves the right to edit and publish without the submitter’s final approval. 

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in Environment | Tagged: #ClimateAction, #ClimateChange, #HurricaneSandy, #JustinAMihalikAIA, #LaurenceEParsisAIA, #ResilientDesign, #stormsurge, #Suasnpikaartbristolaia, #SuperStormSandy, #SuzanneDiGeronimoFAIA, #VerityLFrizzellFAIA, #WIA, #womeninarchitecture | Comments (0)