Data Shows 211 Cranford Residents Sought Housing Assistance Following Sandy

Superstorm Sandy inflicted major damage on six homes and one rental unit in Cranford and impacted 1,235 businesses in the area, according to an analysis of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs data by NJSpotlight.com. 

The state data shows that although numerous homeowners spent days clearing away large tree branches and waiting for power to be restored, only six homes and one rental unit sustained "major" damage in the wake of the historic superstorm. "Major" damage, according to the analysis, is defined as any damage costing between $8,000 and $28,000.

In the days following the storm, Cranford officials met to discuss Sandy's impact on the township. According to initial estimates by Police Chief Eric Mason, Hurricane Sandy — which was downgraded to a tropical storm and later referred to as super storm Sandy — caused at least 418 trees to topple over in Cranford. More than 218 of those trees fell on power lines. In addition, early estimates showed that the storm caused roughly $6 million in total damages and left thousands without power for days.

Visit NJSpotlight.com to read more and search a town-by-town map of reported damage across New Jersey.