When the lights went out: How NJ101.5 kept New Jersey connected during Sandy

This week marks the 13th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy’s devastating impact on New Jersey. We’ll never forget the days leading up to the storm, the storm itself, and the long, dark weeks that followed as we cleaned up and waited for the lights to come back on.

The night Superstorm Sandy changed New Jersey forever

While the center of the storm made landfall in Brigantine, the worst devastation hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Winds topping 80 miles per hour, combined with high tides and a full moon, created a perfect storm of destruction. The surge flooded neighborhoods, swept away homes (and at least one roller coaster), and brought down trees and power lines all across the state. Every part of New Jersey felt Sandy’s force in one way or another.

I wanted to share a few of my memories from those days.

Broadcasting through the storm: New Jersey 101.5’s front-line coverage

Thankfully, my home and the radio station were far enough inland that we didn’t sustain any real damage. But I’ve always felt for my wife and kids during the many weather events we’ve covered at New Jersey 101.5. As radio hosts, we’re a bit like first responders — we need to be here for our audience in times of crisis. That often means leaving our families in the dark, literally, listening to us on the air along with hundreds of thousands of other New Jerseyans. Time and again, listeners told us that while the power was out, NJ101.5 and nj1015.com were their lifelines to vital information.

When big events happen — or surprise us out of nowhere — we all know where we need to be. It’s in our blood. The team here at NJ101.5 always steps up, no questions asked. Everyone knows their role: help our listeners.

Inside the newsroom: food, sleeping bags, and breaking news

As with every major storm, we came prepared for Sandy. Pillows, sleeping bags, snacks — you name it. We were ready to stay for days to make sure New Jersey had the information it needed.

I remember it clearly: Sunday, Oct. 28, we kicked off wall-to-wall coverage. It was supposed to be our “Monster Hits Weekend,” a Halloween-themed music weekend full of #1 songs and spooky favorites. But the music quickly took a backseat to storm coverage. Big Joe Henry turned into a full-fledged newsman, updating listeners on evacuations, road closures, and the latest briefings from Gov. Christie.

Gov. Christie’s storm visit and New Jersey’s resilience

One of the early breaking stories Big Joe reported was the run on bottled water across New Jersey. I’d stopped at a supermarket in Pennsylvania before heading in and, guilty as charged, stocked up — but it was all for the station crew. I loaded up on water, cereal, bread, milk, soup, frozen meals… and it turned out to be a smart move, because local supermarkets were closed for days with no power.

The offices and studios became bedrooms. The conference room turned into a living room. And then, right as the storm made landfall at 7 p.m. on October 29th, Governor Christie himself blew into the station — literally. We opened the front door and a huge gust of wind followed him in. We already had “Ask the Governor” scheduled that night, and when we asked if he still wanted to do it, he said there was no place he’d rather be.

Before, during, and for weeks after Sandy, there was only one topic on New Jersey 101.5: the storm. Sandy was a powerful reminder of the strength — and unpredictability — of Mother Nature, and of radio’s incredible ability to serve its community when it matters most.

It was an experience none of us in New Jersey will ever forget. I know I won’t.