- Over 70,000 customers remained without electricity in the region as of Saturday
- The inclement weather has triggered dozens of flight cancellations at airports across Boston and the Massachusetts islands
Tens of millions of Americans are caught in the path of a powerful nor’easter that brought heavy rain and dangerous gale-force winds to the US Northeast on Saturday. More than 70,000 customers lost electricity across the region as the storm threatens to create hazardous conditions through the weekend. The National Weather Service warned of severe flooding along the Mid-Atlantic coast, particularly near New Jersey and Delaware, noting that the system is already lashing the area.
The National Weather Service stated on Saturday, “This storm is expected to bring major coastal flooding to the Mid-Atlantic Coast over multiple high tide cycles through the weekend. Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses.”
In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, rising waters flooded the streets, inundating several homes.
Kenny Formica, the owner of Surf City Marina on the Jersey Shore, spent Saturday monitoring surveillance footage showing water rising inside his facility. He noted that flooding inside the building is a rare occurrence, recalling that the last time it happened was during Hurricane Sandy, which caused over $4 million in damage to his business.
In anticipation of the storm, Formica mentioned that workers had secured dock lines, relocated loose equipment out of harm’s way, and parked the marina’s trucks and forklifts at the highest elevations of the property. By Saturday morning, however, even these high-ground vehicles were nearly surrounded by water.
Formica woke up Saturday to messages from customers reporting missing boats and Jet Skis. One customer sent him a video around 4 a.m. depicting his 25-foot (7.6-meter) vessel after it had been blown off its lift. “This is an 8,000-pound, $150,000 boat—just gone,” Formica remarked.
Widespread Cancellations Sweep the Northeast
Concerts were canceled alongside dozens of flights to airports in Boston, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard on Friday and Saturday. In response, several airlines offered to waive change and cancellation fees for select East Coast flights throughout the weekend.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to exercise caution, highlighting coastal flooding as the primary threat while warning of heavy rains, powerful winds, and waves reaching up to 20 feet (six meters). “The rain is underway, and while it is only half an inch or so thus far, mark my words: Much more is coming,” the governor stated.
New Jersey Communities Brace for Major Flooding
Brian Kelly, mayor of the small New Jersey beach community of Sea Bright, stated that the borough is bracing for winds up to 50 mph (80 kph) and flooding that could reach up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) on certain streets. Officials anticipate the flooding beginning Saturday and worsening by midday. “This will be worse than average. We typically experience one or two flooding events a year, but I believe this one will rival the scale of the 2011 Irene storm,” Kelly said. “I hope I am wrong, but that is my instinct.” He expressed hope that hundreds of residents in low-lying areas would evacuate, noting that the town would open its recreation center to accommodate evacuees.
Damaging Winds Threaten Coastal New England
Peak wind gusts are expected to reach 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, compared to approximately 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 kph) around Boston and 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 kph) farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the NWS in Norton, Massachusetts. “The closer you are to the coast, the more severe the storm’s impacts will be,” Belk noted. He added that while nor’easters are common as New England enters autumn, the early timing means leaves remain on the trees, creating increased wind resistance. This raises the risk of downed limbs, which can trigger power outages and scatter debris across roads. According to the NWS, wind gusts along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware could reach 60 mph (96.6 kph), while southeastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island could see gusts nearly as high, potentially downing tree limbs and power lines.
Storm Disrupts Concerts, Baseball, and Flights
Air travel faced significant disruptions, with Boston bearing the brunt of the impact. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported 39 cancellations at Boston Logan International Airport between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday, compared with 22 cancellations at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. An additional 12 flights experienced delays at Logan. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox adjusted their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs, moving the Sunday afternoon game to Friday to create a split doubleheader. Separately, Ed Sheeran canceled his high-profile Friday and Saturday concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, due to the storm. The public ferry service connecting Cape Cod with Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard experienced widespread cancellations due to strong winds and choppy waters. In Rhode Island, Block Island ferry services were also canceled, with disruptions expected to continue into Saturday. For frequent travelers to the islands, the possibility of being stranded is “part of life,” said Sean Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. He noted that most people have backup plans in place, stating, “It’s a nuisance, but we know what to do with this kind of stuff at this point. This is not out of the realm of ordinary.”
