Severe Nor’easter Batters US Northeast with Widespread Power Outages and Flooding

More than 70,000 customers lost electricity in the US Northeast on Saturday, signaling the arrival of a powerful nor’easter expected to bring hazardous conditions through the weekend.

Forecasters cautioned against gale-force winds capable of toppling trees and severe flooding that could render roads impassable.

Tens of millions of people lie in the path of the storm, which is already lashing the region with heavy rain and damaging winds as the area braces for further impact. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), dangerous flooding is anticipated along the mid-Atlantic coast, particularly near New Jersey and Delaware.

In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, water rippled along its surface and flooded streets, inundating several homes. Approximately 34 miles (55km) up the coast in the borough of Manasquan, where roads were also submerged, Mayor Mike Mangan stated he expected “a lot of water in the streets for a long time.” A voluntary evacuation had previously been issued for certain low-lying areas of the community.

Concerts were canceled, alongside dozens of flights entering airports in Boston, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, on Friday and Saturday. Several airlines offered to waive change and cancellation fees for select East Coast flights over the weekend.

Brian Kelly, Mayor of the small New Jersey beach community of Sea Bright, stated the borough was preparing for winds reaching up to 50mph (80km/h) and flooding that could rise up to 6ft (1.8 meters) on some streets. Officials anticipated the flooding would begin on Saturday and intensify by midday.

“It’s going to be worse than average. We typically experience one or two flooding events a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I believe this one will be closer to an Irene-scale flooding event,” Kelly said, referencing the 2011 storm that caused significant flooding in the Northeast. “I hope I’m wrong, but that is my gut feeling.”

Kelly added that he hoped hundreds of residents in low-lying areas would consider evacuating. He noted the town would open its recreation center to accommodate evacuees.

Peak wind gusts could reach 60-65mph (97-105km/h) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, with gusts of about 50-55mph (80-89km/h) around Boston and 35-40mph (56-64km/h) farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the NWS in Norton, Massachusetts.

“It’s definitely going to be a case of the closer to the coast you are, the more impacts from the storm you’re likely to see,” Belk stated.

Belk noted that nor’easters are not uncommon as New England enters fall, but a concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on trees, creating more wind resistance. This could increase the risk of downed branches, which in turn could cause power outages and leave debris in roads, he explained.

Along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, wind gusts could reach 60mph (96.6km/h), according to the NWS. In southeastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York, gusts could be nearly as powerful, potentially snapping tree limbs and power lines.

More than 200 flights to and from airports in Boston, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and New York were canceled on Friday, with additional cancellations already scheduled for Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox announced adjustments to their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs. The team moved the Sunday afternoon game to Friday to create a split double-header. Separately, Ed Sheeran announced that his high-profile Friday and Saturday performances at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, would be canceled due to the storm.

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