Technology and Science26 September, 20262 min read
Nor'easter Floods New Jersey, Knocks Out Power Across Northeast, Cancels 250 Flights at Boston Logan
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Power outages hit tens of thousands to over 100,000 customers across the Northeast. Hundreds of flights canceled or disrupted along the East Coast due to the storm.
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Flooding, outages, and wind
A powerful nor'easter pummelled the U.S. Northeast on Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes as tidal surges swamped low-lying neighbourhoods in New Jersey and wind gusts toppled trees on New York's Long Island.
PowerOutage.us said well over 100,000 customers were without power across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic at times on Sunday, and the most widespread outages were in counties along the coast from New Jersey to Connecticut.
The Massachusetts Port Authority said more than 250 flights had been cancelled at Boston Logan International Airport by late Sunday morning as wind gusts reached 64 km/h.
Caroline Virenius said, "It's not like a one-time occurrence," as her garage filled with about a foot of water (30 centimeters) in Sea Bright, New Jersey.
Bob Oravec said tidal flooding would stay through high-tide cycles Sunday night, even as the storm gradually weakened.
Storm timing and local impacts
A slow-moving storm continued to linger through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf all the way to New England, and the National Weather Service predicted the storm will weaken over Sunday night with local heavy rain in parts of New England and the mid-Atlantic. New York's Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, "There is another band of the storm, a weaker band, but still another band that could hit early this afternoon and later into the evening," as local officials warned of additional flooding. In Sea Bright, each high tide brought a new round of flooding, and Bernard Dowd said his basement had been "filled up like a swimming pool" after he got back from work.
Carole Ann Palmer said this was the worst flooding she’s seen in 10 years, and she described how, "Yesterday, I was like, oh my God, it just keeps getting higher and higher," as the front step was swept away. The Massachusetts Port Authority reported that wind gusts reached 64 km/h, while the storm's circulation center needed to move north and east of the area before conditions could improve.
Warnings and preparedness
New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters that with the full moon, the tides may even be higher, and she said, "We expect waves as tall as 20 feet in some areas." Hochul also warned residents to stay out of the water, saying, "Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life." In New Jersey, the storm's high tide cycle brought moderate coastal flooding for many shore communities between 8-10 am, and the threat continued later in the day but eased to minor by then.
“Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life.”
The National Weather Service forecast that the storm would cause significant flooding along the central Atlantic coast and high surf through the end of the week, and officials urged immediate preparedness for major floods in low-lying coastal areas. Bob Oravec said tidal flooding would stay through high-tide cycles Sunday night, and residents in New Jersey and New England were told to expect dangerous surf and strong winds even as the storm weakened.