April 2014, Vol. 241 No. 4

Features

Superstorm, Super Effort: National Grid Executive Recounts Sandy Recovery Process

It is often said along the East Coast that no two storms are alike, and so it was with Superstorm Sandy, which unleashed the full brunt of its fearsome wrath on the New York City area on Oct. 29, 2012. In its wake, the winds that peaked at 140 mph and accompanying flooding accounted 148 deaths and caused $68 billion in damages. Sandy ultimately caused utility outages in 17 states, en route to becoming, at 1,100 miles in diameter, the largest Atlantic storm in history. Obviously, even with countless hours of emergency training and preparation, these extraordinary circumstances would push any service provider to the brink. Yet despite the chaos and, at times, unanticipated obstac