Two cities in one, Winston-Salem was formed by the merger of the separate towns of Winston and Salem in 1913. Salem dates back to 1753 when the first Moravian missionaries from Germany arrived in the area. The name Salem comes from the Hebrew word, shalem, meaning “peaceful” or “complete.” Winston was established as the county seat in 1849 on land north of Salem and named after a local Revolutionary War hero. The city became one of the largest tobacco producers in the United States as the headquarters of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York City, causing unprecedented damage across all five boroughs. The superstorm, which began as a tropical wave in the Caribbean, caused 43 deaths and $19 billion of damage in the city. Approximately 17 percent (51 square miles) of New York City’s total land mass was flooded, and a quarter of buildings were without power for days.