Chris Raia

Toms River, New Jersey Police Department Officer, Retired

Hurricane Sandy through the eyes of a police officer stranded on Barrier Island.

Five years ago, Hurricane Sandy, the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 hurricane season, developed in the Caribbean, on October 22^nd. It moved northward, intensifying to a hurricane and made landfall on Jamaica. It strengthened again into a Category 3 hurricane, hitting Cuba the very next day. It hit the Bahamas on October 27^th, before weakening to a tropical storm. It re-strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane and curved west-northwest to New Jersey, where it landed as a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane force winds.

In New Jersey, preparations had begun on October 26^th with a voluntary evacuation, but in two days it was mandatory. Toms River Patrolman was assigned to the barrier island on Monday, October 29^th and could not leave for 24 hours.

We’ll hear his story of weathering Sandy, and what was left in its aftermath.

5 YEARS LATER – PHOTOS OF SANDY THEN AND NOW, Curtesy 92.7 WOBM and Chris Raia can be viewed by browsing here.