New York’s governor declared a state of emergency and major concerts and events were canceled in the Northeast on Friday as a rare fall nor’easter began lashing the Atlantic coast.
Waves were crashing over seawalls in coastal New Jersey Friday afternoon, where the National Weather Service said winds were forecast to gust up to 60 mph and large breaking waves were expected to reach up to 9 feet.
More than 31 million people were under coastal flooding warnings or advisories. The strongest winds were expected through Saturday night on Long Island in New York and in New England.
In North Wildwood, New Jersey, tourists were recording video of the sea Friday as the storm approached. Some locals said they were worried about power outages in the coastal community.
“The weather is going to be crazy. It always is for a nor’easter,” said Chris Jenkins, who lives four blocks from the ocean.
Asked if she expected power outages, Jenkins had a simple answer: “Always.”
Her backup power sources were charged, and they have a fireplace in the home with logs in case the heat goes out.
In New York City, Global Citizen canceled its yearly festival in Central Park, and All Things Go, a music festival in Queens, did the same.
The AC/DC concert at MetLife Stadium, normally home to the New York Giants and Jets, was pushed to Oct. 2, and Ed Sheeran canceled his shows scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The New York Yankees squeezed in a doubleheader with the Orioles by moving Saturday’s game to Friday, and Saturday’s Boston Red Sox game was moved to Florida and will take place Sunday instead.
A travel advisory is in effect for New York City through Sunday, and people were advised to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel. It also urged residents to make sure catch basins were clear.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the coastal flooding was expected to be at its worst Saturday morning, especially around the Rockaways, the coast of Staten Island, and Jamaica Bay.
“If you live in a basement, know your exits and be ready to move if water approaches,” he said in a video Friday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency, which helps in issuing aid, covering the New York City area and Long Island. Coastal flooding is the main concern, she said.
“Take this storm seriously,” she said in a statement.
Heavy rain bands — up to 4 to 6 inches — will hit the area Saturday and into Sunday, and winds will push water onto shore, with 1 to 4 feet of inundation expected.
Widespread 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible from the Interstate 95 corridor to the coast. The Jersey Shore, Long Island and coastal New England are likely to see the highest rain totals.
Waves of 10 to 18 feet are expected, with coastal flooding forecasts of 1 to 4 feet depending on the area.
By Saturday, rain will begin from the Jersey Shore to eastern Massachusetts and is expected to last all day.
Saturday will also feature the highest wind potential, with wind gusts that could reach 60 mph in coastal locations.
Rain will continue for the Northeast and New England on Sunday, as beaches continue to take a beating from the strong onshore winds.
The storm will still be spinning just off the coast Monday. While winds will be weaker, rain and beach erosion will continue.
Winds are expected to lead to travel delays and power outages into Monday.
Southeast New England faces the highest risk of power outages because of the strongest wind potential and top-heavy trees with leaves still on them.
Areas of New Jersey were already lashed by rough surf Friday morning, with videos showing waves crashing along the shore.
“The waves, the wave actions, the way it comes in, it just takes everything in its path,” said Mike Jones, the emergency management director for Upper Township, New Jersey. “And there’s really no way to stop Mother Nature.”
A full moon Saturday night is also expected to lift tides up to 5 to 6 inches.
One New Jersey resident said she closed up her whole house to prepare.
Outside Washington, abnormally high tides were seen along the Potomac River, inundating roads with floodwaters. Oceans Calling, a popular three-day music festival in Ocean City, Maryland, over three days, was canceled.
In North Carolina, winds greater than 50 mph have been recorded. A video showed a car in the state nearly swept into the ocean before a tow truck saved it.
Nor’easters are so called because the wind hitting the U.S. East Coast comes from the northeast. Cold air comes south from Canada and creates a storm when it meets warmer ocean water in the Atlantic, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.
They are most common and most violent between September and April, and they “nearly always bring precipitation in the form of heavy rain or snow,” it says.
Hurricane Nolo strengthens to Category 5
Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo is churning toward Hawaii with 160 mph mph winds. It was a Category 5 hurricane early Saturday and was moving northwest at 10 mph. At some point over the weekend, it is expected to become a major hurricane, upgraded to a Category 3 or 4.
The storm will remain south of Hawaii, according to forecasters, but it will still affect the Big Island and Maui.
Outer rainbands were affecting the Big Island at around 5 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET), and the island could get up to 16 inches of rain, the National Hurricane Center warned. People in Hawaii are preparing for the worst, expecting catastrophic flooding.
“Nolo is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane this weekend, and could further intensify early next week,” the NHC said in a bulletin.
Just last month, Hurricane Lala brought destruction to Hawaii’s Big Island, damaging more than 100 homes and stranding people without water and power.
In addition to dangerous surf and damaging winds, mudslides are a major concern in the state.
As of Thursday night, stores were sold out of generators and gas cans. Shops were boarded up and blocked with sandbags. Schools were let out Thursday to give residents more time to prepare.
