A slow-moving, powerful nor’easter is hammering the U.S. East Coast this weekend, bringing severe coastal flooding, heavy rain, and damaging winds from North Carolina to New England, according to The Weather Channel. Tens of millions of people from the mid-Atlantic through the coast of Maine remain in the path of the storm, which arrived earlier than the typical October-through-May nor’easter season, as reported by National Public Radio. Meteorological experts note that because trees are still fully leafed out, they present greater wind resistance during the storm.
Powerful Early-Season Nor’Easter Batters US Northeast
The severe weather system has driven water levels about two to four feet higher than normal at high tide across the most significantly impacted zones, which stretch from the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Jersey Shore, including the Virginia Tidewater, Chesapeake Bay, and Delaware Bay, as detailed by The Weather Channel. In Atlantic City, New Jersey, resident Talia Manno found water lapping halfway up her front steps, reaching her fifth step and echoing conditions last seen during Hurricane Sandy. A full moon occurring this weekend is lifting tides by an additional five to six inches, exacerbating coastal inundation from New England down to parts of the mid-Atlantic coast.
High Winds, Power Outages, and Travel Disruptions
Wind gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour have been recorded across the Northeast, with several weather stations clocking gusts above 60 mph, including Nantucket Memorial Airport and a 56 mph gust reported at New York City’s JFK Airport, according to The Weather Channel. Francis Tarasiewicz, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Massachusetts, explained that while many nor’easters impact the area over the course of about a day, this system is bringing a roughly 48-hour period of winds greater than 35 to 40 miles per hour.
The severe conditions have taken a heavy toll on regional infrastructure. Nearly 80,000 customers were without power across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, according to data tracked by National Public Radio. Flooded roads are expected to delay utility crews working to restore electricity to coastal communities. Travel has also been heavily impacted, with more than 1,000 flight cancellations and thousands of delays recorded by FlightAware, alongside disruptions to ferry services in Cape Cod and Rhode Island and train cancellations by Amtrak due to weather and downed wires.
States of Emergency and Canceled Weekend Events
States of emergency have been declared across counties in New Jersey and New York, including New York City, where videos posted to social media showed residents kayaking through flooded streets. Voluntary evacuations have been issued in communities such as Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, told CBS News that the region should expect continued high winds, high tides, and heavy rain.
The storm’s severe timing forced the cancellation or postponement of numerous weekend events across the region. Oceans Calling, a major three-day music festival in Ocean City, Maryland, was called off, an AC/DC concert in New Jersey was rescheduled, and the Boston Red Sox altered plans for their game against the Chicago Cubs. Forecasters indicate the nor’easter is expected to meander offshore through the weekend, potentially bringing lingering rain and wind before finally departing on Tuesday.
