Interactive: compare Hurricane Sandy to Irene The image on the left of Hurricane Irene was taken on August 26 2011, a day before it made landfall on the east coast, the first hurricane to do so since 2008. On the right is Hurricane Sandy, at a similar stage on October 28. At this point in their lives, both Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy have wind gusts of up to 105 mph. The image of Hurricane Sandy clearly shows a line of clouds and cold air running from north to south along the Appalachian Mountains, approaching from the west to meet the storm. The arrival of Hurricane Sandy, dubbed a "Frankenstorm," could be strengthened by this mix of cold mountain air with warm air from the equator.