Hurricane Sandy vs. Zeta

 

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (Courtesy: WUSA9)

It’s ironic that the DC Metro Area is experiencing such a rainy and raw day today with the remnants of Hurricane Zeta.  That’s because it was on October 29 eight years ago that the Mid-Atlantic Region experienced a record-setting event due to former Hurricane Sandy.  Daily rainfall records were set at all three DC Area Airports during Sandy and the name was subsequently retired for being destructive and deadly.

While Zeta hasn’t had the same impacts, it came during the 2020 hurricane season that’s been more active than the 2012 season was.  While Hurricane Sandy was a Category 3 hurricane at peak intensity and the strongest Atlantic hurricane of 2012, it was a weaker system when it made landfall.  Zeta made landfall in Louisiana close to 6:00 p.m. as a strong Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph - just under Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Similar to Hurricane Michael two years ago, Zeta intensified right up until it made landfall.  There's a good chance Zeta would have reached Category 3 intensity had it remained over the Gulf a little longer.  The differences on the ground, however, between a strong Category 2 and a low-end 3 are relatively minor. 

Sandy was an entirely different story as it tracked northward in the Atlantic Ocean in late October, where the environmental and atmospheric conditions were much less favorable for a tropical system.  Shortly before Sandy made landfall, the National Hurricane Center declared it a non-tropical or post-tropical storm.  Consequently, all the tropical storm watches and warnings that had been in effect along the Mid-Atlantic and northeast coasts were dropped.  That contributed to the illusion among the general public that Sandy was no longer a serious threat.  That couldn't have been a larger misconception as Sandy became one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.  There are parts of New York and New Jersey that still haven't fully recovered eight years later.

Both Hurricanes Zeta and Sandy illustrate that significant hurricanes can occur in late-October and have serious impacts in the United States.  They're just less common than earlier in the season.  

October 29 Daily Rainfall Records - All from 2012 courtesy of "Sandy"

Washington, D.C. (National Airport): 3.85" 

Dulles Airport, Sterling, Virginia: 4.25" (Monthly record)
Baltimore, Maryland (BWI Airport): 5.51" (Monthly record)