Technology and Science · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Nor’easter Kills Leighton Brown as New York City, New Jersey Declare Emergencies
Leighton Brown died when a tree fell on him in Brooklyn during the storm. New York and New Jersey declared emergencies amid flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions.
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Nor’easter hits East Coast
A powerful, slow-moving nor’easter swept along the U.S. Northeast on Saturday, bringing strong winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rains that created dangerous conditions in some places.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani identified the man killed after a falling tree as Leighton Brown, an employee of the New York City Housing Authority, and he said, "My thoughts are with his entire family as they deal with this unimaginable loss."
The storm’s wind and tide impacts reached the Jersey Shore and southern New England, where buoys reported waves of "16 feet or more," and a weather station in Surf City, New Jersey, reported a wind gust of 74 mph late Friday night.
The New York City Department of Parks reported calls for 391 downed trees in the city as of 9 p.m. Saturday, while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that "Winds will be just as powerful as the waves" and said wind gusts exceeding 50, even 60 miles an hour, had already been recorded on Long Island.
The BBC’s account placed the storm’s path across New York City and Boston on Saturday, with the US National Weather Service describing "dangerous coastal flooding and beach conditions, strong winds and heavy rainfall" as states of emergency were declared in New York and New Jersey.
Deaths, outages, and travel
A 56-year-old man was killed in Brooklyn when a falling tree struck him, and the New York City Police Department identified the first confirmed fatality from the storm as Leighton Brown. The BBC said the nor’easter caused widespread power cuts, with more than 100,000 households losing electricity, while PowerOutage reported that nearly all in the northeast US were affected. BBob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said there would be "a lot of high winds, a lot of high tides and heavy rain possibility over the next few days" for the northeastern U.S.
FlightAware data showed more than 2,400 flights delayed and another 1,199 grounded, and the Federal Aviation Administration recommended air passengers check with airlines about their flight status. In New Jersey, the BBC reported that Governor Mikie Sherrill urged residents to take the storm seriously, saying, "I urge all New Jerseyans to take this storm seriously, stay alert and follow local guidance," as streets and homes were inundated in Surf City and Manasquan.B
What comes next
The storm’s timing and full-moon tides were expected to worsen coastal flooding, and the BBC said Saturday’s full moon was projected to worsen coastal flooding.B
The Weather Channel said Boston was in a flood watch until 2 a.m. Tuesday, and it described a nor’easter timeline in which flooding would ebb and flow with the tides as the weekend progressed.
The Weather Channel also warned that gusts up to 60 mph were possible into Sunday, and it said, "tree damage and power outages are most likely" in those areas.
The Houston Chronicle reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency said response coordination centers in affected regions were operating in an "enhanced posture," with crews on standby in New England in case of widespread outages.
As the nor’easter continued to dig in, the BBC said the NWS alert urged people to "Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore," including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses.B