Editor's Note: This originally appeared on Ocean City Patch.

The National Weather Service has determined that the massive coastal storm that buried Ocean City under record floods on Oct. 29, was not a hurricane when it made landfall near the island.

Staff writer Richard Degener reports in The Press of Atlantic City that meteorologists have determined that Category 1 Hurricane Sandy was a "post-tropical cyclone" by the time it reached the New Jersey coastline. The designation has an important impact on how insurance companies process claims for storm damage.

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Read "Sandy's classification as 'post-tropical cyclone' saving homeowners thousands on hurricane deductibles ."
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The storm caused $438 million in damage to public and private property in Ocean City, according to a preliminary estimate by the city.