A slow-moving, powerful nor’easter battered the northeastern United States over the weekend, and the nor’easter flooding it triggered has been blamed for at least one death, widespread power outages, and hundreds of canceled flights. The storm pounded coastal communities from Maryland to Massachusetts with heavy rain, high winds, and dangerous tides, prompting emergency declarations in New York and New Jersey.
| Key Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deaths | At least 1, a New York City Housing Authority worker killed by a fallen tree in Brooklyn |
| Power outages | Roughly 100,000 customers lost power at the storm’s peak |
| Flights disrupted | More than 400 cancellations and over 3,000 delays nationwide |
| States of emergency | Declared in New Jersey and parts of New York |
| Events canceled | Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium concerts and an MLB schedule shuffle |
At a glance: A rare late-September nor’easter parked itself off the East Coast, dumping heavy rain and whipping up dangerous surf from Maryland to New England. Forecasters warned the coastal flooding and high winds would linger for several more days even after the worst had passed.
Tree Falls Kill Brooklyn Worker as Storm Hits New York
The New York City Housing Authority confirmed that one of its employees died Saturday after a tree fell on them in Brooklyn as the storm pushed through the city with heavy rain and strong wind gusts. The death was the only fatality confirmed as of Saturday night, though local officials cautioned that conditions remained hazardous.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to avoid the water altogether. She said anyone approaching the shoreline or flooded streets this weekend was taking a serious risk with their safety.
Nor’easter Flooding Knocks Out Power and Grounds Flights
The nor’easter flooding and high winds tore through the electrical grid across the mid-Atlantic and New England, with outages peaking at around 100,000 customers before crews began restoring service overnight. Downed trees were a major cause of the disruptions, according to utility crews working through the weekend.
Air travel took a hit as well. Airlines canceled more than 400 flights and delayed over 3,000 more as of Saturday night, according to tracking data from FlightAware. Airports in the New York and Boston areas saw some of the heaviest disruptions as the storm moved slowly up the coast.
States of Emergency and Coastal Warnings
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for eight counties ahead of the storm, citing the threat of damaging winds, heavy rainfall, coastal flooding, and beach erosion. New York issued similar warnings for counties expected to bear the brunt of the system.
The National Weather Service said the highest tides were expected north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Saturday night into Sunday, raising the risk of widespread road flooding in coastal and bayside communities. Despite repeated warnings, some residents in Long Island, New York, were seen kayaking down flooded streets, while others gathered to watch large waves roll into Hampton, New Hampshire.
A resident of Ocean City, Maryland, described water rising into backyards along the canals as the storm surge pushed inland. Similar scenes played out in coastal towns from Delaware to Massachusetts as the system lingered offshore.
Concerts and Sports Schedules Disrupted
The storm’s reach extended well beyond flooding and outages. Musician Ed Sheeran called off his scheduled concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on both Friday and Saturday because of the weather threat.
Major League Baseball also adjusted its schedule. The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs played a doubleheader in Boston on Friday to get ahead of the storm, and the league moved their Sunday finale to Florida, at the Tampa Bay Rays’ home stadium, to avoid the nor’easter altogether.
What Comes Next for the Northeast
Forecasters do not expect immediate relief. Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said the region should brace for continued high winds, elevated tides, and additional heavy rain over the next several days. He noted that nor’easters are common as New England transitions into autumn, but that a storm of this strength arriving this early in the season is unusual.
You can follow ongoing coverage of the storm’s aftermath from the Associated Press report on NBC News, which has tracked the outages and damage as they developed.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Nor’easter Flooding
Q: How many people died in the nor’easter?
A: At least one death has been confirmed: a New York City Housing Authority employee killed by a falling tree in Brooklyn on Saturday.
Q: How many homes and businesses lost power?
A: Outages peaked at roughly 100,000 customers across the mid-Atlantic and New England before crews began restoring service.
Q: Why were so many flights canceled?
A: High winds and heavy rain from the storm led airlines to cancel more than 400 flights and delay over 3,000 others, with the New York and Boston areas hit hardest.
Q: Which states declared a state of emergency?
A: New Jersey’s governor declared a state of emergency for eight counties, and New York issued similar warnings for counties expecting the worst conditions.
Q: Is the storm expected to continue?
A: Yes. Forecasters said high winds, elevated tides, and additional heavy rain were expected to persist in the region for several more days.
