In 2012 I entered the US with an esta, I booked my exit ticket 83 days later and I assumed that I would receive 90 days. However I got stamped the date of my exit ticket.

Fast forward to new york 30st of october 2012. Hurricane Sandy is coming through NY. My flight gets cancelled and I'll get rebooked a few days later. Upon leaving the country the border agent assures me that my overstay won't cause any future problems because it was for a good reason.

When applying for an ESTA however you can't give a reason. Any overstay is an automatic NO. Does this mean if I want to visit the US ever again I will automatically have to apply for a visitor visa? I am sure I will be granted the visa, but the process is so much longer and expensive.