It wasn’t a trick or a treat, but 10 years ago the remnants from Superstorm Sandy brought three days of wind, flooding and even snow to northeast Ohio.

Superstorm Sandy was one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. It was responsible for over 60 billion dollars in damage in just New Jersey and New York.

But the remnants of Superstorm Sandy also brought destruction to northeast Ohio ten years ago.

From Oct. 29-31, 2012, northeast Ohio experienced high winds, heavy rain and snow, but the major impact came from wind.

(USCG)

Cleveland Hopkins Airport recorded a wind gust of 68 mph the night of the 29th. 

Two things contributed to the extent of the destruction and damage from Superstorm Sandy in northeast Ohio.

First, it linked up with a cold front and second, the mild water temperature of Lake Erie created even more instability.

Cleveland area marinas were hit particularly hard. According to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, over 100 boats in Cleveland were sunk or destroyed.

(USGS)

At the height of winds, waves on Lake Erie were up to 15-18 feet high. These waves shut down I-90 for a time just east of Cleveland.

Heavy rainfall was another issue. While many spots picked up around 2 inches of rain that caused river flooding, parts of northwest and central Ohio picked up a few inches of snow. 

Even though Superstorm Sandy is most known for its damage on the East Coast, it definitely is a storm to remember for northeast Ohio.

Many communities had to cancel or postpone trick-or-treat with no power to schools and homes to over 250,000 people.

On this 10-year anniversary, we are seeing a far less “scary” forecast with light rain and normal high temperatures.

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