What happened
A powerful nor'easter is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the East Coast through Sunday night. The storm is forecasted to dump up to 8 inches of rain and produce wind gusts of up to 80mph, leading to major coastal flooding. Long Island and the Jersey Shore are expected to be particularly hard hit, with 4 to 8 inches of rainfall predicted. New York City is expected to receive between 2 to 4 inches of rain.
The strong northeast winds, combined with high astronomical tides, will lead to significant coastal hazards, including severe beach erosion and flooding. The prolonged nature of the northeasterly winds means that water levels from coastal flooding may be the highest for some locations in several years.
In addition to coastal flooding, the storm also poses a threat to inland areas, where saturated ground and full trees may lead to downed trees and power lines, resulting in power outages that could last into early next week.
The severe weather pattern is expected to last until Sunday night, with conditions beginning to ease up on Monday. Governor Kathy Hochul has warned residents to expect up to 5 inches of rain across the entire weekend.
