On Oct. 29, 2012, superstorm Sandy made landfall with ferocious winds, driving rain and intense flooding.
When the sun rose the next day, residents awakened to a grim reality. Much of the Island was left without power. Trees were down everywhere. The LIRR was out of service. Gasoline was in short supply. Homes were gone. People were displaced. It would take years to bring Long Island back.
A storm also hit Long Island politics; some top officials in both counties faced criminal charges ranging from bribery to obstruction of justice.
National politics were changing as well. The decade began with approval of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, and not long after, same-sex marriage was legalized nationally. But rising dissatisfaction with the status quo Republican Donald Trump being elected president in 2016, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton in a result that few saw coming.
A body found in a wooded area of Gilgo Beach led to the discovery of more than 10 other bodies, crimes which have still not been solved. Also still unsolved is the February 2014 shooting of political power broker Gary Melius on the grounds of his Oheka Castle in Huntington (Melius survived). On Father’s Day 2011, a Long Islander killed four others at a Medford pharmacy before stealing painkillers, shining a light on LI’s opioid crisis.
And as the decade rolled out, the increased threat of the gang MS-13 presented itself on Long Island, including the deaths of two young girls in Brentwood.
Long Islander Keith Bush – who had been imprisoned since 1976 for a killing he has always maintained he did not commit – was finally cleared of the murder and released from prison in 2019.
Nationally, mass shootings became an all-too-frequent occurrence, from Las Vegas to Orlando to elementary school in Connecticut.
In sports news, the Islanders left the Nassau Coliseum for Brooklyn, then returned, then left again for a still-under-construction arena near Belmont Park.
divided cover
And after a three-year investigation, Newsday launched “Long Island Divided,” a project that exposed the widespread evidence of disparate treatment of minority homebuyers.
And the headlines notwithstanding, what did an average day in the Life of Long Island look like at this time? Here’s a look.
-- Seth Mates
THE DECADE
- The Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, was passed in March 2010.
- Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy Seals in May 2011.
- Superstorm Sandy struck in October 2012.
- Numerous LIRR officials were charged in a disability fraud scandal.
- Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016.
- Environmental laws changed after Newsday exposed illegal dumping at Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood.
NEWSDAY HIGHLIGHT
Newsday’s digital transition is highlighted by a move to a new state-of-the-art headquarters.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep.16: From Island to island, how football helped overcome tragedy Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to Carey football player James McGrath about how he has persevered after losing his parents at a young age, and to the Lahainaluna (Hawaii) High School football coach about how his team persevered after the Maui wildfires of 2023, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Long Island teams photo shoot.
