Sandy Spurs Interest in Coastal Modeling and Storm Prediction

Hurricane Sandy will forever be remembered as an extreme weather event that had devastating and cascading effects on the New York metropolitan region and throughout the east coast. From the initial destruction caused by the torrential rain, storm surge and furious winds to the massive flooding, loss of power and the impact on basic infrastructure and services upon which citizens depend each and every day, nowhere was this more apparent than Hoboken, N. J., hometown of Stevens Institute of Technology

The media, the public and policy makers turned to Stevens experts for advice on prediction and forecasting, real-time storm threat assessments, flood tracking and storm surge impacts, guidance on a smart and effective recovery, and innovative solutions to minimizing the impact of future natural disasters.

Stevens Institute of Technology’s campus in Hoboken, N.J. was directly in the path of the historic storm, and researchers and students at Stevens have contributed to the effort to mitigate Sandy’s impact in multiple ways—before, during and after the event. Read more...>>

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Learning from Sandy

Sandy proved to be a learning experience for its students as well—both in- and outside of the classroom.  More than 300 students logged more than 2,000 volunteer hours organizing and staffing the volunteer effort to assist the City of Hoboken. These students coordinated and supervised more than 5,000 volunteers who reported to City Hall to assist victims of the storm by delivering water, food and supplies, rescuing stranded citizens, and cooking meals for city shelters. Their contributions were instrumental in the city overcoming unparalleled challenges to the safety and welfare of its residents, and after the storm, the Mayor of Hoboken officially recognized them for their service and volunteerism.

A new, interdisciplinary disaster studies class, “Sandy Studies,” exposes students to the real-world intersection of science and society and the pursuit of effective, responsible and inclusive innovation.