Late October 2012 – Rhode Island’s coastline is walloped by a massive and destructive storm. While not even a direct hit, the storm caused significant damage and left tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders in the dark for days.
In this 12 on 12 Digital Original, Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo gives you a look back at the impacts of Superstorm Sandy, as well as a look ahead at whether Rhode Island is now better prepared to handle a storm of that caliber.
Plus – Chief Meteorologist Tony Petrarca breaks down what made Sandy so significant, Target 12 Investigator Sarah Guernelli shows you how the state’s power grid has changed since then, and a team of WPRI 12 reporters walks you through the aftermath of the storm 10 years ago.
In this 12 on 12: A look back at Superstorm Sandy | A conversation with Tony | Photo Gallery | 12 News Reports from 2012 | RI’s power grid
Watch: Superstorm Sandy – 10 Years Later
Why was Sandy so significant? A conversation with Tony
T.J. chats with Chief Meteorologist Tony Petrarca about the size and scope of Sandy, why the storm had such an impact on our coast, and what we learned from it.
Photo Gallery: Superstorm Sandy
FILE – In this Oct. 30, 2012 file photo, a man walks past cottages damaged by Superstorm Sandy on Roy Carpenter’s Beach in the village of Matunuck, in South Kingstown, R.I. Superstorm Sandy was one of the Rhode Isand’s top stories for 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) 
A for sale sign sits near flooded trailer homes in South Kingstown, R.I., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Beach cottages were destroyed, businesses were flooded and a quarter of the state was without power Tuesday after superstorm Sandy blew through Rhode Island. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
A large wave crashes over the sea wall in Narragansett during Superstorm Sandy (WPRI-TV) 
Sea foam along Beach Street in Narragansett during Superstorm Sandy (WPRI-TV) 
Waves batter the coast near homes in Narragansett, R.I., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. A fast-strengthening Hurricane Sandy churned north Monday, raking ghost-town cities along the Northeast corridor with rain and wind gusts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
South side of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier in Providence, preventing sea water from flooding downtown Providence. (WPRI-TV/T.J. Del Santo) 
A man reacts to waves crashing over a seawall in Narragansett, R.I., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. A fast-strengthening Hurricane Sandy churned north Monday, raking ghost-town cities along the Northeast corridor with rain and wind gusts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Christopher Hannafin, of South Kingstown, R.I., enters a friend’s cottage through a window to salvage belongings from the structure destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, on Roy Carpenter’s Beach, in the village of Matunuck, in South Kingstown, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee speaks with a reporter while seated in the backseat of a vehicle, in South Kingstown, R.I., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Beach cottages were destroyed, businesses were flooded and a quarter of the state was without power Tuesday after superstorm Sandy blew through Rhode Island. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
In this Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 photo, cottages rest near an eroded shoreline on Roy Carpenter’s Beach, in South Kingstown, R.I. Rhode Island’s wide sandy beaches are the state’s jewel and greatest pride, as well as a crucial economic engine that draws tourists every summer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Lauren Spink stands in front of her storm-damaged home, in South Kingstown, R.I., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. As superstorm Sandy marched slowly inland, millions along the East Coast awoke Tuesday without power or mass transit, with huge swaths of the nation’s largest city unusually vacant and dark. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Christopher Hannafin, center, and Pete Duhamel, left, both of South Kingstown, R.I., salvage items, including a door, from a friend’s cottage destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, on Roy Carpenter’s Beach, in the village of Matunuck, in South Kingstown, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Gail Castelli stands in front of the foundation of a missing beach home in the Misquamicut community of Westerly, R.I., Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012. Superstorm Sandy’s tidal surge carried the structure down the street, where it damaged Castelli’s own beach home. (AP Photo/David Klepper) 
In this Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 photo, cottages rest near an eroded shoreline on Roy Carpenter’s Beach, in South Kingstown, R.I. Rhode Island’s wide sandy beaches are the state’s jewel and greatest pride, as well as a crucial economic engine that draws tourists every summer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Pete Duhamel, of South Kingstown, R.I. removes a bicycle from a cottage while helping a friend salvage belongings from the structure destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, on Roy Carpenter’s Beach, in the village of Matunuck, in South Kingstown, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
A man reacts to waves crashing over a seawall in Narragansett, R.I., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. A fast-strengthening Hurricane Sandy churned north Monday, raking ghost-town cities along the Northeast corridor with rain and wind gusts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
A woman reacts to waves crashing over a seawall in Narragansett, R.I., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Randy Saunders, left, and Charley Kellogg, right, both of Westerly, R.I., remove a window from the storefront of their family-owned business in the Watch Hill section of Westerly, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, in preparation for high winds from the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy. Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate coastal areas Sunday as big cities and small towns across the U.S. Northeast braced for the onslaught of a superstorm threatening some 60 million people along the most heavily populated corridor in the nation. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Jeremy Seidel, of Waterford, Conn., covers storefront windows with plywood in the Watch Hill section of Westerly, R.I., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, in preparation for high winds from the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy. Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate coastal areas Sunday as big cities and small towns across the U.S. Northeast braced for the onslaught of a superstorm threatening some 60 million people along the most heavily populated corridor in the nation. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) 
Jeremy Seidel, of Waterford, Conn., reaches in his pocket for screws while covering storefront windows with plywood in the Watch Hill section of Westerly, R.I., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, in preparation for high winds from the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy. Sandbags rest at the base of the building to help repel water. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Superstorm Sandy: 12 News Reports
We had a team of reporters out covering the storm’s impacts in different parts of the state. Here’s a look back at some of our coverage.
How a business saw opportunity in Sandy’s debris
How Sandy spurred changes to RI’s power grid
Credits
Reporter/Editor – T.J. Del Santo, Sarah Guernelli
Executive Producers – Shaun Towne
Graphic Designer – Matthew Buteau
Special Thanks – Tony Petrarca, Gary Azera, Jen Quinn, Lee Dooley, Susan Tracy-Durant, Karen Rezendes
