A powerful nor'easter brought flooding to roads in coastal New Jersey and left thousands without power along the U.S. East Coast on Friday night, September 25, the Associated Press reported. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency in eight counties effective at 5 p.m. local time as forecasters warned that the storm's most serious coastal effects could continue through the weekend.
The storm was strengthening offshore and moving north, according to the National Weather Service. Its New York office forecast a prolonged spell of rain and northeast winds rather than a brief burst of severe weather. On Friday afternoon it projected total rainfall of four to six inches for New York City and Long Island through Sunday, with roughly one and a half to three and a half inches elsewhere in its forecast area. Those figures were forecasts, and the storm's precise track remained uncertain.
Forecasters said the full moon would raise astronomical tides just as winds pushed seawater toward shore. The New York weather office warned of moderate to major coastal flooding over several high-tide cycles on Saturday and Sunday, particularly around Long Island, New York City's lower boroughs and western Long Island Sound. It also warned of high surf and dangerous rip currents. The agency said a shift in the storm's path could change where the heaviest rain falls.
Farther north, the weather service's Boston office warned that coastal New England could see gusts of 45 to 60 miles per hour, with power outages and beach erosion among the main risks. It forecast offshore seas of 15 to 25 feet and heavy rain lasting into Monday. In New Jersey, the governor's emergency order cited warnings for tidal flooding, high winds and rain and authorized state emergency officials to coordinate local response plans.
The Associated Press reported that water had already covered some streets in Manasquan, New Jersey, where officials had advised a voluntary evacuation in some low-lying areas. It also reported disrupted flights and canceled concerts as the storm approached. These were early effects, while the more extensive flooding and wind damage described by weather officials remained forecasts at the time of their Friday updates.
Coastal flood and wind warnings remained in place across parts of the Northeast for the weekend. The New York weather office said the system might linger near the coast into Monday before departing, but stressed that its route could still change. Emergency officials and forecasters were monitoring successive high tides, rainfall and power disruptions as communities prepared for the next phase of the storm.
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