Since many of us living along the path of Hurricane Sandy were ordered to stay put in our homes yesterday, plenty took to Instagram and Twitter to share updates of what they saw happening in their neighborhoods. Instagram easily became one of the quickest ways to illustrate Sandy’s devastation, and here’s a rundown of what happened last night that quite literaly blew us away.

  1. nature’s wrath
    13thwitness
    Mon, Oct 29 2012 19:20:26
     
     
    2
    likes

  2. Even before Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the tri-state area, residents reported flooding all over downtown New York and Brooklyn. In particular, Battery Park and all tunnels in the area were hit with 13-foot surges.

  3. please be kind to us, #sandy i hope everyone is staying safe and sound.
    newyorkcity
    Mon, Oct 29 2012 19:38:59
     
     
    7
    likes

  4. The water came up to my knees when I joined my neighbors on the front stoop.
    megetz
    Mon, Oct 29 2012 17:09:48
     
     
  5. By the time Sandy hit New York City at nightfall, most of lower Manhattan was underwater and power was steadily going out below 34th street. This was likely due in part to an explosion at the Con Edison power plant on 14th street.

  6. And the lights go out in the Village.
    nicksummers
    Mon, Oct 29 2012 17:45:37
     
     
  7. One of the more powerful illustrations of lower Manhattan’s power outage was this shot show one half of the city lit up while the other was left in the dark.

  8. MegRobertson
    Across the street from 92 8th Avenue where building facade collapse just happened. (ok to use, plz credit me) http://pic.twitter.com/X5PJASfm
    Meg Robertson
    Mon, Oct 29 2012 16:16:40
     
     
  9. Around 7 p.m., Sandy tore off the facade of a building on 8th Avenue between 14th and 15th street, revealing an unoccupied apartment. No one was injured in the accident, thankfully.

  10. Jane’s carousel is basically an island now. Poor horses.
    andjelicaaa
    Mon, Oct 29 2012 18:45:09
     
     
  11. A haunting photograph shows Jane’s Carousel, a famous attraction in DUMBO, stranded in the flood.

  12. The street collapsed. #sandy
    davidblaine
    Tue, Oct 30 2012 06:49:04
     
     

  13. 214th St, Manhattan #sandy
    embeedub
    Tue, Oct 30 2012 06:53:30
     
     
  14. By morning, Instagrammers were able to better assess the damages in their neighborhoods. Many spotted fallen trees and caved in pavements, and others reported seeing cars float away in the flood. As of this morning, at least 16 lives were claimed by Sandy across the United States, including a woman in Queens who was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle of water.

  15. Queens NYC… #sandy.
    vagtak
    Tue, Oct 30 2012 06:48:52
     
     

  16. Vandebilt ave, Ft Greene #sandy
    alex_dicko_
    Tue, Oct 30 2012 06:49:56
     
     

  17. Rainbow touches down in lower Manhattan #hurricane #sandy
    kurtdietrich
    Tue, Oct 30 2012 06:53:20
     
     
  18. But at the end of it all, hope is not lost. Though the city has a long recovery ahead, this rainbow gives a glimpse of a new day for us to move on from the Frankenstorm that was.