Early Saturday, a powerful nor’easter started striking the East Coast, delivering strong winds, coastal flooding and extensive power outages to tens of millions of people stretching from the mid-Atlantic up to the coast of Maine. The National Weather Service said coastal flooding, heavy rain and high winds are expected to continue through the weekend, due to the unusual September storm.
Nearly 100,000 people were without power across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts late Saturday morning. The storm is expected to intensify and move slowly north throughout the day.
Saturday morning brought rough surf and intense flooding to coastal New Jersey, while Manasquan’s mayor, Michael Mangan, had already declared a state of emergency on Friday.
“Please make sure you have water on hand. You have food on hand,” Mangan said in an address on Friday. “Many of our coastal roads might become impassable due to flooding as this tide surges on shore.”
The governors of New Jersey and New York both declared states of emergency for counties within their states, including New York City. On Friday night and Saturday morning, videos posted to social media showed streets flooded with water in New Jersey, along with large waves crashing against the coastline. In New York City, people were spotted paddling through the streets.
Wind Gusts Up to 60 MPH
A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston, Francis Tarasiewicz, predicted that wind gusts along the coast could top out at 60 miles per hour. He added that this nor’easter arrives ahead of the usual October through May storm season and is expected to persist for an extended period.
“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, Tarasiewicz said, “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.”
Tarasiewicz pointed to another worry: fully leafed trees. He said the winds will put heavy strain on the plants, which could lead to more power outages. The greatest risk for those outages, he expects, sits across southern Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands region.
Air Travel Disruptions
Saturday morning saw hundreds of flights cancelled, alongside thousands more that were delayed, per data from FlightAware. Ferry services on Cape Cod and in Rhode Island faced disruption, while Amtrak pulled several trains off the schedule because of the weather and fallen power lines.
A number of events scheduled for the weekend were cancelled by the nor’easter.
Maryland’s largest music festival, Oceans Calling, was called off on Friday. The Red Sox said they would shift their matches against the Chicago Cubs. Ed Sheeran then announced that his performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., had also been cancelled.
Forecast
The forecast calls for the storm to travel northeast across Cape Cod from Monday evening through Tuesday, with conditions improving by Wednesday evening.
Nor’easters are named after the wind direction that results from them, so in this case, northeast winds, Tarasiewicz said. They’re common in fall and winter months.
“Many nor’easters affect the area over the course of about a day.”
Power Outage Risk
Tarasiewicz warned that the winds will subject full, leafy trees to considerable strain, which could cause more power outages. The largest danger for those outages lies across southern Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands region.
Tarasiewicz says the greatest danger of power outages falls on places enduring two days of sustained wind before the storm passes.
Comparison of Affected Regions
| Region | Power Outage Risk | Flooding |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | High | Severe |
| New York | High | Severe |
| Connecticut | Moderate | Moderate |
| Massachusetts | Highest | Moderate |
The nor’easter is unusual for its timing. Most nor’easters hit the East Coast from October through May. This one arrived in September and will last longer than normal.
Through Tuesday, sustained winds will hit the East Coast, before the storm eases by Wednesday night.
See the video the story is built around at NPR.
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