A nor’easter is hitting the East Coast this weekend, with wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, flooding that reached a homeowner’s fifth step, and a bride whose wedding turned into a windstorm. Nearly 80,000 people lost power across five states, more than 1,000 flights were canceled, and one festival was canceled.
Saturday saw a nor’easter strike the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts, bringing coastal flooding, heavy rain and high winds. This particular storm arrived ahead of schedule; nor’easters typically hit from October through May. It is also lasting longer than usual.
Wind Gusts Reach 60 Miles Per Hour
Francis Tarasiewicz, a meteorologist, has said that wind gusts along the coast could top 60 miles per hour this weekend. He noted that most nor’easters last roughly a day, bringing strong winds and frequently heavy snow or rain. This time, though, the storm is lasting longer than usual.
“Many nor’easters affect the area over the course of about a day,” he said. “It’s a quick punch of strong winds, in many cases, heavy snow or rain.” But with this one, “we’re looking at about a 48-hour period of winds greater than 35 to 40 miles per hour across the area.”
According to the National Weather Service, the storm is set to keep battering the Jersey Shore, New York City and Eastern Massachusetts through Sunday.
Power Outages and Canceled Flights
By Saturday evening, the PowerOutage.com map showed nearly 80,000 people without power across five states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Officials in both New Jersey and New York had declared states of emergency for counties throughout their two states, including New York City.
Saturday saw over 1,000 flights canceled, with thousands more delayed, per data from FlightAware. Ferry services in both Cape Cod and Rhode Island faced disruption, while Amtrak canceled several trains because of the weather and downed wires.
The nor’easter also disrupted a number of weekend plans:
- Oceans Calling, one of Maryland’s biggest music festivals, was canceled on Friday.
- An AC/DC concert in New Jersey was rescheduled.
- The Boston Red Sox announced they would move their game against the Chicago Cubs.
One Bride Married in the Wind
Olga Ostrovetsky chose a September date for her small outdoor wedding, imagining a lovely autumn day. As she prepared to marry in Wallkill, N.Y., she said, “It’s very, very windy.”
“At first bummed, she’s now finding the positives in the disruption,” she said. “It’s kind of fitting, to be honest, because my fiancé and I met and it was a torrential downpour,” she said. “We met on a day like this, and we’re also getting married on a day like this.”
A Bermuda Cruise Rough Enough for Ginger Ale
Before setting off on her journey to Bermuda, Jessica Lisboa packed green apples, ginger ale, and an acupressure anti-nausea bracelet as a precaution against seasickness. She confessed afterward that the voyage had been anything but calm.
“Let me not sugarcoat it. Was it wild? Yeah, sure. It was a little wild,” Lisboa said. “It felt honestly like a roller coaster.” Still, she considered it a worthwhile adventure.
What Comes Next
Some people treat the weekend as an opportunity to adjust. Others see it as a cautionary signal. Talia Manno, who lives in Atlantic City and whose front steps were flooded, is spending Saturday night with family away from the coast. She said she does not know how much longer she will remain in the area.
“As the years pass, it seems like it’s just getting more and more flooding,” she said. “It’s crazy.”
The storm is expected to continue into Sunday.
Source material: “Windy weddings and rocky cruises: How East Coasters are braving the nor'easter this weekend,” NPR.
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