The sky was lit by a full moon on October 29, 2012, but nobody on the eastern seaboard of the United States could see it. Everything had been consumed by cloud. The storm's immensity caught the attention of scientists on the International Space Station. Even from there, it seemed almost limitless: 1.8 million square feet of tightly coiled bands so huge they filled the windows of the Station. It was the largest storm anyone had ever seen. Sandy was not just enormous, it was also unprecendented. As a result, the entire nation was left flat-footed.

Author Biography

KATHRYN MILES is a faculty member at Chatham University and Green Mountain College. Her article for "Outside" on one Hurrican Sandy story was named a must read by "The New Yorker," " Longform," and "The Daily Beast." Her writing has also appeared in Best American Essays. She lives in Belfast, Maine."