Experts say Sandy caused an estimated 50 billion dollars in property damage. That made it second only to Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that caused 108 billion dollars in damage.

Sandy began as a tropical depression off the coast of Africa. At first, it produced rain and thunderstorms in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. By October 18th, it arrived in the Caribbean Sea. The storm weakened as it passed over Cuba. But it grew stronger as it moved toward the United States on October 27th.

Scientists say the hurricane joined with another weather system arriving from the west. The combined storms caused water levels to rise all along the east coast. Winds with speeds of over 65 kilometers an hour stretched 1,500 kilometers from side to side.

Sandy struck southern New Jersey before it began moving inland across the North American mainland. Some lives were changed forever along the coastlines of New Jersey, New York and other states.

How Do You Name a Hurricane

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How did Hurricane Sandy get its name? Naming storms and other natural events has been a tradition for centuries. For example, the name “Thor” was given to the mythical Norse god of thunder, the loud sound that follows lightning in the sky.

An Australian scientist began calling storms by women's names before the end of the 19th century. During World War Two, scientists called storms by the names of their wives or girlfriends.