Superstorm Sandy News

Hartford Unit Accused of Using Fudged Hurricane Sandy Report

A Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. unit was accused by a lawyer representing policyholders affected by Hurricane Sandy of denying a claim from the storm based on an altered engineering report. The lawyer submitted evidence of the altered report yesterday …

Superstorm Sandy Victims Allege Racketeering in Flood Claims Review

Wright National Flood Insurance Co. and U.S. Forensic LLC, an engineering firm, were sued by New York homeowners who claim the companies conspired to manipulate reports and avoid paying for damages from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Wright, which provides coverage …

Acadia Insurance Sues Owner of HMS Bounty That Sank During Sandy

An insurance company is suing the owner of an 18th-century replica sailing ship that sank during Superstorm Sandy. Newsday reported on Nov. 14 that Acadia Insurance Co. sued Robert Hansen this month. The suit seeks to recoup $5 million in …

New Jersey Sen. Menendez Presses for Sandy Flood Insurance Probe

The Federal Emergency Management Agency should investigate allegations that insurance companies handling Superstorm Sandy flood damage claims are manipulating them to shortchange victims, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said on Nov. 14. At a press conference in his Newark office, Menendez …

New York Rivers Getting New Flood Gauges

Areas along the Hudson, Mohawk and Oswego rivers will soon have new flood gauges to warn of possible floods. U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced on Nov. 7 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set aside nearly …

Blue-Collar Workers Priced Out as Rich Snap Up Jersey Shore Homes

When Hurricane Sandy roared through New Jersey two years ago, it not only tore up the shoreline. It also pushed out much of the middle class. From Ocean City to Toms River, one-story cottages and bungalows damaged by the worst …

4 Sandy-Damaged NYC Hospitals to Get $1.6B in Federal Aid

New York City is getting at least $1.6 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to help public hospitals install floodwalls, flood proof elevators and otherwise become more storm-resilient, officials announced Thursday. The money for Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, …

Boston Mayor: City Made Significant Strides in Preparing for Climate Change

Boston has made significant strides in preparing for major natural disasters, rising sea levels and other impacts to the ever-changing climate, Mayor Martin Walsh said on the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. Speaking at the Architecture Boston Expo at the …

2 Years After Sandy: Sea Bright, N.J., Prepares for Next Big Storm

Sea Bright, New Jersey, is a great example of how difficult it is to truly prepare a Jersey shore community for the next big storm. The low-lying community on a narrow strip of sand between the ocean and the Shrewsbury …

Human Factor, Culture Often Overlooked in Climate Debate, Expert Says

When Hurricane Sandy came, Deborah Star Reed stayed home. Irene, the year before, had been over- hyped. Her 1919 concrete house in New York was left unscathed by Donna in 1960 and the “Big One” of 1938. So, on Oct. …