Weather
Pennsylvania-New Jersey Weather History: Sandy's 12.83 Inches, 14 Years Later
Mantoloking, NJ – Fourteen years after Post Tropical Storm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore on Oct. 29, 2012, newly shared historical weather maps and photographs highlight the extraordinary flooding
By Wesley Grant · 2026-10-29T08:35:27.551Z
Mantoloking, NJ – Fourteen years after Post Tropical Storm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore on Oct. 29, 2012, newly shared historical weather maps and photographs highlight the extraordinary flooding, snowfall and destruction that affected communities from New Jersey to the Appalachian Mountains.
According to the National Weather Service, Sandy produced historic coastal flooding along New Jersey and New York, while its enormous circulation brought damaging conditions hundreds of miles inland.
One of the storm's most dramatic impacts occurred in Mantoloking, Ocean County, where powerful ocean waters breached the barrier beach along the Barnegat Peninsula.
The breach created a new inlet connecting the Atlantic Ocean with Barnegat Bay, cutting through an area previously occupied by homes, roads and portions of Route 35.
National Weather Service photographs show extensive destruction where residential neighborhoods once stood.
Although the inlet was eventually filled, rebuilding took years. Images from 2016 still showed remnants of damaged properties and trees along the highway.
Sandy's impacts extended far beyond the coastline.
Historical rainfall maps show a maximum storm total of 12.83 inches near Bellevue, Maryland, while portions of the central Appalachians experienced extraordinary early season snowfall.
The National Weather Service reported snowfall maxima of 36 inches near Richwood, West Virginia, and Wolf Laurel Mountain, North Carolina, during the Oct. 28 31 storm period.
Heavy snow and strong winds contributed to widespread power outages across inland communities, demonstrating the storm's unusual combination of tropical moisture and cold air.
The National Weather Service Pittsburgh office marked Thursday's anniversary by revisiting Sandy's historic snowfall and far reaching impacts across the Great Lakes and Appalachians.
Fourteen years later, Sandy remains a major reference point for coastal flooding, emergency preparedness and the long term challenges of rebuilding communities after catastrophic storms.