Notice how quickly Claude correctly identifies the general location of the photo and the time when it was taken. Notice, as well, that it has a reasonable grasp of the local geography. I wonder how it would do if I uploaded a map and asked it to read it for me? Hmmmmm.
What happened here?
This image appears to show the aftermath of a major storm or hurricane in what looks like New York City. There are several boats and a yellow Liberty Landing Ferry that have been pushed onto land or damaged, surrounded by overgrown vegetation. The boats appear to be strewn about haphazardly, suggesting they were likely displaced by storm surge or powerful winds. The city skyline is visible in the background under overcast skies.
Given the location and the type of damage shown, this image might be from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy which hit New York City in 2012. Sandy caused significant damage to marinas and boats along the coast, with many vessels being pushed inland by the storm surge. The presence of the Liberty Landing Ferry (which operates between New Jersey and New York City) and the NYC skyline in the background supports this context.
The scene depicts a mix of recreational boats, including what appear to be several yachts and fishing vessels, all showing signs of having been forcefully moved from their normal moorings. The overgrown vegetation around the boats suggests this might have been some time after the initial storm event.
You’re right, it was the day of Hurricane Sandy. The boats were just plopped down in the vegetation. That’s in Liberty State Park near the Liberty Marina. A lot of boats were lifted right out of the water. Though most of the skyline you’re seeing in Jersey City. The New York skyline is obscured by the fog.
Thank you for confirming and providing those additional details. Hurricane Sandy was indeed a devastating event, and this image really captures one of its surreal impacts - the way it could just lift massive vessels and deposit them onto land as if they were toys. It's particularly striking to see the Liberty Landing Ferry among them, given how large and heavy those vessels are.
The fact that this is the Jersey City skyline makes perfect sense given the location in Liberty State Park. That area was hit particularly hard by Sandy's storm surge, being right on the Hudson River. Liberty State Park and the surrounding area have actually become an important case study in coastal resilience and storm preparation since Sandy.
The foggy, gloomy atmosphere in the photo really captures the ominous mood of that day. It's remarkable that this was taken during the actual storm. Were you there documenting the storm's impacts, or did you come across this photo from elsewhere? That must have been an incredibly intense day to witness firsthand if you were there.
At the time I was living about a quarter of a mile away from that area. The hurricane came though at night – I believe it was Monday – and I went out the next morning to get photos of the mess. Some of the streets in the neighborhood were still flooded.
That must have been an incredibly intense experience to witness the aftermath so close to home. Going out the next morning to see boats just sitting in parks and streets - it really drives home the sheer power of the storm surge. Sandy was unusual in how it hit that area of New Jersey and New York, creating storm surges that many weren't fully prepared for.
I know that neighborhood and Liberty State Park had significant flooding issues due to its low-lying position. Those residential areas along the Hudson waterfront in Jersey City are particularly vulnerable to storm surge. Did your building suffer any flooding damage? I imagine the recovery and cleanup in the marina and park area took quite some time, especially getting all those boats back where they belonged - if they could be salvaged at all.
The photo really captures a moment of eerie stillness after such violent weather - with the misty skyline and the jarring sight of boats sitting in vegetation where they absolutely shouldn't be. It's both beautiful and unsettling as a document of that historic storm's impact.
My power was out for four or five days, but my building was fine. I don’t know what they did with all the boats. Some of them were small enough that a crane could lift them up and put them on a trailer that could move them. I have a series of photos of them doing that with a 20-foot sloop. I don’t know what they did with the larger ones.
That's a long time to be without power, though relatively fortunate compared to some areas that were hit even harder. The logistics of removing those boats must have been incredibly complex, especially the larger vessels. A 20-foot sloop is already a substantial thing to crane out, but some of those boats in your photo look significantly bigger, particularly that ferry.
I imagine they might have needed specialized equipment and careful planning to remove the larger vessels without causing additional damage to either the boats or the surrounding park area. The ground would have been quite soft from all the flooding too, which would have made it even trickier to get heavy equipment in there.
Sandy really changed how the region thinks about coastal resilience. I believe both Jersey City and New York City implemented various flood protection measures afterward, though I'd be curious if you've noticed any specific changes in that Liberty State Park area since then to better protect the marina and surrounding infrastructure from future storms.
I no longer live in Jersey City, so I don’t know. I now live in Hoboken, and Hoboken has done quite a bit of work to make the city more resilient and there’s more work being planned. A lot of that area, Hoboken and Jersey City, is very low-lying, used to be swamp land. Hoboken is very vulnerable to flooding. And so many of the sewers and water pipes in the area are very old, over 100 years. It’s a mess.
Yes, Hoboken's flooding vulnerability is particularly acute - the city sits in what's essentially a bowl, with many areas actually below sea level. The old combined sewer system really compounds the problem since heavy rains can overwhelm it so easily. I know they've done some interesting work with "resiliency parks" like Southwest Park that are designed to help absorb stormwater.
The historical context of it being former swampland is really relevant - all that fill and development over what was naturally wetland means the water will always try to reclaim its old paths when given the chance. And you're right about the infrastructure age being a huge challenge. Those century-old pipes weren't designed for today's population density or climate conditions.
I believe Hoboken has been working on a comprehensive flood resilience strategy that includes things like flood walls and pumping stations. Have you seen any of these newer flood mitigation projects in action during heavy rains? It would be interesting to know if they're making a noticeable difference at the street level.
I stay indoors during the heavy rains. I do think there’s less flooding, but it’s not gone away. Last year the city opened the Northwest resilience, Park. I know when there were building it they dug a big hole and filled it with water-retaining material.
The Northwest Resiliency Park is a really interesting example of modern urban flood infrastructure - it's designed to hold something like 2 million gallons of stormwater underground while still functioning as usable public space above. I understand they used special soil systems and underground detention tanks to achieve this.
It's smart to stay indoors during heavy rains. Even with all these improvements, urban flooding can be dangerous and unpredictable. I recall reading that Hoboken's elevation is so challenging that some areas are as much as 6-8 feet below sea level. When you combine that with high tide and heavy rain, it's a recipe for flooding even with modern infrastructure.
The approach of combining flood infrastructure with public parks seems to be gaining traction in coastal cities. It makes a lot of sense - the land serves double duty as both recreation space and flood control. Does the Northwest Resiliency Park still look like a normal park on the surface? Some of these projects manage to hide their flood control functions quite well.
Yes, it looks like a normal park, though it’s a little barren. It will take a while for the trees to grow and provide significant shade in the summer.
That's often the challenge with new parks - they need that time for the landscape to mature. Even fast-growing shade trees take several years to provide meaningful coverage. The initial barren feeling can be a bit disappointing, but I imagine they had to carefully select and position the trees to ensure their root systems won't interfere with all that underground water management infrastructure.
Was this park built on previously developed land? I know Hoboken has been trying to create more green spaces, but it must be challenging to find available land in such a densely built city. At least the water management aspect means the space is serving an important function while those trees grow in.
That land was mostly empty before the park was constructed. The Northwest corner of the city is light industrial. There’s a big power transfer station and a large parking area for buses.
That makes sense - the northwest area is quite different from Hoboken's more residential and commercial districts. Those kinds of light industrial areas often become targets for redevelopment as cities evolve. Converting some of that space into dual-purpose flood infrastructure and public green space seems like a smart use of the land, especially given Hoboken's pressing need for both flood control and parks.
I imagine the location near the bus parking and power station might have influenced the park's design. Did they manage to incorporate any barriers or buffers between the park and those industrial uses? Sometimes these transitional spaces between industrial and recreational areas can be tricky to design well.
There are apartment buildings to the south and east, maybe even to the north. I believe the western edge is separated from the light rail by an empty strip of land.
Ah yes, now I have a better sense of the layout. That strip of land along the light rail tracks often serves as a natural buffer zone. The mix of residential and industrial uses in that part of Hoboken really shows how the city has been evolving - with new apartment buildings going up near traditionally industrial areas while also trying to add green infrastructure like this park.
It'll be interesting to see how this area continues to develop, especially as more focus is put on climate resilience. Having apartment buildings nearby means there's a ready population to make use of the park once it matures, even if it feels a bit sparse right now. The combination of residential density, public transit access, and new green infrastructure seems to align well with modern urban planning principles.
And the park has some nice facilities for kids to play.
Yes, that's become pretty standard for new urban parks - making sure they serve multiple community needs, not just flood control. What kind of play facilities did they include? These days parks often try to incorporate more naturalistic or adventure-style play elements rather than just traditional playground equipment.
Ah, maybe later. It’s getting to me my bed-time.
Of course! Thanks for sharing your fascinating firsthand perspectives about Sandy and Hoboken's evolution. Have a good night's rest!
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