Since the advent of the world wide web, people have been using it to bear witness to the events around them, some trivial, others world-shattering.

While Hurricane Sandy was making its way up the Eastern sea board, Chris Ackermann and Peter Ng threw together instacane.com a feed of Instagram photos documenting the storm and now, its aftermath.

The resulting collection is a fascinating glimpse into a memorable, and in some cases traumatic event in people's lives. Amateur snappers rank equally alongside photojournalists, shared experience being the great leveller.

The subjects vary from haunting points of light within the black, to cinematically deserted streets, through to evocative abstract memories of the days of the storm. The grainy, vintage style shots that Instagram excels at give the photos an historic aesthetic; the very act of documenting the storm adding greater weight to the event.

Below are some of the most memorable:

What's the most memorable image of Hurricane Sandy for you? Let us know in the comments.

Featured image, Storm image via Shutterstock