Nor'easter brings flooding, power outages and one death across NYC, Long Island and New Jersey
A slow-moving nor'easter caused heavy rain, high winds and coastal flooding, leaving about 100,000 customers without power and resulting in one confirmed fatality.
A powerful, slow-moving nor'easter swept the U.S. Northeast on Saturday, producing high winds, heavy rain and large waves that led to widespread flooding and power outages. Approximately 100,000 customers lost electricity across the region, and a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority employee was killed when a tree fell on him in Brooklyn, the first confirmed storm-related death.
Rescue crews saved nine adults and a dog from flooded motel rooms in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, while residents in Long Island, New Jersey and Maryland reported streets and marinas inundated with water. In Surf City, New Jersey, marina owner Kenny Formica described water reaching inside his facility for the first time since Hurricane Sandy, noting that a 25-foot boat was swept off its lift.
National Weather Service forecaster Bob Oravec warned that the system would continue to bring high winds, high tides and heavy rain through the weekend, with rainfall totals of 1-3 inches from Philadelphia to eastern New Jersey and 3-5 inches on parts of Long Island and southern New England. Wind gusts of 60-70 mph were reported along the New Jersey and Delaware coasts, with inland gusts of 40-55 mph.
The storm prompted numerous event cancellations, including concerts by Ed Sheeran, an Ironman triathlon in New York, and the Global Citizens Festival in New York City. Major League Baseball reshuffled a Boston-Chicago series, and Boston Logan International Airport reported 260 flight cancellations. Governor Kathy Hochul cautioned that coastal flooding posed the greatest threat, adding that rain was only beginning and more was expected.
Officials noted that early-season storms can cause greater damage because trees are still full of leaves, increasing wind resistance and the likelihood of downed limbs on saturated ground. Coastal communities such as Cohasset and Scituate, Massachusetts, experienced waves overtopping seawalls, leading to additional flooding and erosion.