Northeast US battered by nor’easter, causing blackouts and flood warnings

Officials caution residents about dangerous conditions and advise staying clear of flood‑prone zones.

A powerful nor’easter is lashing the northeastern United States, leaving widespread power outages and flooding in its wake.

As of Saturday afternoon, more than 88,000 homes and businesses have lost power, down from a peak of 119,000 earlier in the day. The storm has also forced the cancellation of over 400 flights, with roughly 425 flights canceled and 1,338 delayed according to FlightAware.

National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec warned that the system will continue to bring strong winds, high tides and heavy rain over the coming days for the Northeast.

The governors of New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency in the hardest‑hit counties, including New York City, on Friday.

Officials have urged residents to avoid flooded areas and beaches, emphasizing the lethal risk of water intrusion. “Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Despite the warnings, some locals have taken to kayaking flooded streets in Long Island and surfed the large swells in Hampton, New Hampshire. “In all the canals, the water is up really high and coming into people’s back yards,” said Ocean City, Maryland resident Jay Boyd, speaking to the Associated Press.

While nor’easters are typical for the region in autumn, forecasters note that this storm arrived slightly earlier than average for a system of its magnitude.

About 425 flights have been cancelled and 1,338 delayed so far on Saturday, according to data from the flight tracker FlightAware.

Concerts and sporting events have also been cancelled, including musician Ed Sheeran’s scheduled shows in the state of Massachusetts on Friday and Saturday.

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