Tens of thousands are without power in New Jersey and New York as a powerful nor’easter slams the Mid-Atlantic region.
Impacts of the storm — expected to bring “dangerous” coastal flooding along with high wind gusts and rip currents — began on Friday evening.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) declared a State of Emergency for “Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem counties” on Friday in advance of the storm’s arrival.
“Starting tonight, the storm is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain, and significant coastal flooding, with these eight counties facing the greatest risk,” she warned. “I urge all New Jerseyans to take this storm seriously, stay alert, and follow local guidance. We’re prepared and will keep you updated as conditions develop.”
According to PowerOutage.com, over 37,000 customers in New Jersey were experiencing power outages as of 10 am ET. Ocean County alone has over 7,000 reported power outages. There are also nearly 28,000 reported power outages in neighboring New York, 15,000 in Connecticut, and over 5,000 in Massachusetts. Notably, New York’s Suffolk County is currently seeing the highest concentration of power outages, clocking in at over 11,000.
Videos show the severe conditions across the East Coast as the storm batters the low-lying coast and beyond, particularly in New Jersey.
Storm Tracker Jaden Pappenheim provided an update from New Jersey’s Surf City, describing the west side as “almost completely crippled” and reporting that vehicles are submerged.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the storm is not expected to weaken until Sunday night, and it is expected to bring flooding spanning from northern New Jersey to southern New England.
“This storm is expected to bring major coastal flooding to the Mid-Atlantic Coast over multiple high tide cycles through the weekend. “Widespread major coastal flooding is expected by the Saturday morning high tide cycle,” NWS said, warning of “repeated rounds of flooding.”
“Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses. Moreover, large breaking waves will continue to generate strong rip currents, beach erosion, road closures, and property damage for the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic into Southern New England through Monday,” it adds.
