Here’s what to know about this storm:
-
Up to 15 centimeters of rain is expected in parts of the Northeast before the storm moves into Canada this evening.
-
Storm conditions were expected to be at their worst during rush hour commuting Monday morning.
-
Wind gusts in excess of 60 miles per hour were reported on the New Jersey coast Monday.
Floods are worrying much of the Northeast.
Heavy rain and howling winds associated with a strong coastal storm hit parts of the Northeast late Monday as officials in Philadelphia, New York and Boston asked residents to prepare for flooding and power outages.
At about 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time, more than 45,000 customers in New Jersey were without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which collects data from utilities. Just over 30,000 customers in New York and nearly 22,000 in Connecticut were also affected.
The sweeping storm hit South Carolina and North Carolina over the weekend and is expected to continue moving northward on Monday. Up to six inches of rain could fall across parts of the Northeast before moving into Canada in the evening hours. according to the National Meteorological Service. There was also a slight risk of excessive precipitation for parts of the northern Mid-Atlantic region northward into New England through Tuesday morning, the weather service said.
Storm conditions were expected to be at their worst during peak commuter time in the region early Monday, threatening to clog traffic and make travel difficult. The New York State Department of Transportation urged motorists to avoid driving through flooded roads and to find alternate routes. Similar messages were issued by transportation officials in Massachusetts and New Jersey. A Nassau County official urged residents to stay off the roads altogether.
Floods were also a concern further north. The New York Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning until 6 p.m. Monday for southern Westchester County and several communities in southern Connecticut, including New Haven.
Along New York’s coast, flooding of up to two and a half feet and sustained winds of 25 to 40 miles per hour – with gusts of 55 to 60 mph – could damage power lines and topple trees, the weather service said.
New York City officials have implored those living in basements to move to higher ground and advised all residents to dump those in the city emergency alert app.
They also warned residents to prepare for strong winds, with gusts of up to 60 mph sweeping through Brooklyn and Queens from early Monday into mid-morning. Waves 12 to 16 feet high could hit the coast, the weather service said.
Up to 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected to fall across the Philadelphia area through Monday morning, raising concerns about potential urban and coastal flooding.
“River levels may continue to rise after Monday’s rain ends, with some rivers expected to peak Monday night into Tuesday,” the National Weather Service for Philadelphia and Mount Holly said. a briefing on Sunday evening.
The utility warned that strong winds could also knock down tree branches and cause power outages.
TO a storm warning was also issued for stretches of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coasts through Monday evening.
Rebecca Carballo, Johnny Diaz, Isabella Kwai AND Orlando Mayorquin contributed to the reporting.
