A monstrous storm, nearly 1,000 miles wide, slammed the northeast coast of the United States with a force comparable to an atomic bomb. This was a natural disaster of a scale never witnessed before. Mother Nature unleashed her fury, and the devastation was beyond anyone’s imagination.

I still can’t wrap my head around it. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. It’s like something out of a disaster movie. Picture this: 50 homes burned to the ground. Entire neighborhoods turned to ashes. People kept asking, “What’s going on?” but there were no answers, only astonishment and fear.

Heather called me, barely able to speak. She was just grateful to be alive. There was no power, no phone service—nothing. We were cut off from the world, trying to make sense of what felt like the end of days.

When the people on the East Coast woke up after Sandy passed, the scene was surreal. This storm had pounded the coastline from Florida to Massachusetts with unimaginable power before making landfall in New York City. The city was drowned, invaded by the ocean.

Sandy’s transition into a superstorm was terrifying. Millions scrambled to cope with the aftermath. New York City turned into a chaotic mess, leaving its residents in a state of shock.

The statistics were overwhelming: nearly 200 dead, damage estimated at $50 billion, and over 8 million people without power. It all happened in a span of 24 tragic, unforgettable hours. The name Sandy will forever evoke memories of destruction and resilience.