<P> Hurricane Sandy ( unofficially referred to as `` Superstorm Sandy '' ) was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season , and the third - costliest hurricane in United States history . Classified as the eighteenth named storm , tenth hurricane and second major hurricane of the year , Sandy was a Category 3 storm at its peak intensity when it made landfall in Cuba . While it was a Category 2 hurricane off the coast of the Northeastern United States , the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record ( as measured by diameter , with winds spanning 1,100 miles ( 1,800 km ) ) . Estimates as of 2015 assessed damage to have been about $75 billion ( 2012 USD ) , a total surpassed only by hurricanes Katrina and Harvey . At least 233 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries . </P>
<P> Hurricane Sandy ( unofficially referred to as `` Superstorm Sandy '' ) was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season , and the third - costliest hurricane in United States history . Classified as the eighteenth named storm , tenth hurricane and second major hurricane of the year , Sandy was a Category 3 storm at its peak intensity when it made landfall in Cuba . While it was a Category 2 hurricane off the coast of the Northeastern United States , the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record ( as measured by diameter , with winds spanning 1,100 miles ( 1,800 km ) ) . Estimates as of 2015 assessed damage to have been about $75 billion ( 2012 USD ) , a total surpassed only by hurricanes Katrina and Harvey . At least 233 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries . </P>
was sandy a tropical storm or a hurricane
was sandy a tropical storm or a hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane