Ramifications Of Hurricane Sandy

Growing up, the end of October typically meant playing soccer and finding a costume for trick-or-treating, but in 2012, my community became saturated and preoccupied by the anticipation of a coming storm. Although northern New Jersey is not normally where hurricanes violently meet land and its inhabitants, the weather pattern became apparent that we were not going to escape this one. On October 29, Hurricane Sandy began to embrace and ravish everything impeding its chosen path. Instead of soccer and candy giving, the days were complete with continued damage from the storm, school cancellations, and gas lines. For my creative project, I decided to investigate the ramifications of Hurricane Sandy to understand and reflect on the occurrences.
In addition to the devastating that Hurricane Irene caused in the same area the year prior, birds and other animals were scattered. The soaring winds catapult birds to different locations, sometimes hundreds of miles from their familiar habitat. While some species of birds were finishing up their migration route to warmer weather, the irresistible winds led birds astray and separated the weaker ones from their flock. In some cases, the birds can recover within a few weeks and find their designated location, but others are not as successful. On the same not, sea mammals that are unable to seek shelter in open water or near the shore, can also be harmed by being blown onto shore. On the other hand, the ocean water can harm other bodies of water and the subsequent wildlife and vegetation. In addition to the water that flowed through Manhattan during Sandy, storm surges created piles of salty ocean water, causing the contamination of fresh water. Coastal marshes and bays quickly transformed into deadly areas with the addition of the foreign salt. Upon the shifting of the delicate balance, creatures and vegetation without high tolerance for the salt addition suffer and decease. Whether it be marsh grasses, minnows, insects, or crabs the previously thriving wildlife is replaced by the killing salt and a disturbed habitat. Along the same lines, the intrusion of salt water does not drain quickly, resulting in the harm and/or killing of bottomland forests, and other coastal trees from the contaminated soil. The reverse can also occur and cause destruction to saltwater environments. Overall, Hurricane Sandy exposed the unpreparedness of my family and the majority of families it effected. To be ready, it is important to stock up on necessities in the case of a power outage, and to be aware of the geological processes taking place that effect not