What do you mean by "what kept damages from Sandy down"? The damages for Sandy huge for a weak category 1 hurricane. By contrast, study the infographic linked

What do you mean by "what kept damages from Sandy down"? The damages for Sandy huge for a weak category 1 hurricane. By contrast, study the infographic linked below. Florida was hit by Charley, Frances, Jeane, Rita, and Wilma in the span of two years (2004-2005). These were all category 1 or 2 storms at landfall. They weren't nearly as large as Sandy, but we're talking five separate storms of greater intensity. Some of them made landfall or passed over densely populated South Florida regions. In total, these storms added up to around $75b in damages; a mark I wouldn't be surprised if Sandy passes. Individually, none of them passed the $20b mark. Sandy did tremendous damage in the northeast for a weak category 1 hurricane. No single factor is to blame. There are many: * Sandy was large... LARGE * Sandy hit an extremely densely populated area * Coastal topology in the region made it susceptible to storm surge That last point can't be made strongly enough. Once again, we see that it is the water (ocean) that poses the greatest threat. The wind and rain are bad, but even a small amount of water can pass wind and rain damage by a long shot. It also takes far more lives. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/rising-tide#r=lr-fst http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/rising-tide#...