A rare September nor'easter is strengthening off the Mid-Atlantic coast and is forecast to bring damaging wind, heavy rain and significant coastal flooding to more than 40 million people across the Eastern United States by the weekend, according to NBC News.
Forecasters expect rain totals of 2 to 4 inches from New Jersey to Maine, with 4 to 6 inches possible in eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Long Island — in some spots, close to a month's typical September rainfall in a single event. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph are forecast along the coast, raising the risk of downed trees and power outages, while coastal flooding of 1 to 3 feet above high tide is expected from North Carolina to Nantucket, with the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area flagged as being at the highest risk of major inundation, per CNN.
Timing and Tides
The storm's heaviest impact is expected to arrive in Boston and the New York City metro area Friday evening into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, with a full moon Saturday night threatening to amplify already elevated tides. Waves could reach 12 feet off Ocean City, New Jersey, and as high as 22 feet farther north in New England waters, forecasters told ABC News.
Local officials are urging residents to prepare for extended power outages. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city was expanding community outreach ahead of the storm:
This is a rare fall nor'easter, and we want to make sure every neighborhood has the information they need to stay safe.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
In New Jersey, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden urged residents to charge devices and stock batteries in case of prolonged outages.
The storm is unusual both for its timing — nor'easters typically strike in the colder months — and its strength, with meteorologists citing warm ocean waters as a factor sharpening its intensity. High wind watches and coastal flood warnings remain in effect through the weekend across a stretch of coastline from the Carolinas to Cape Cod, and forecasters caution that the storm's exact track could still shift, with the potential for locally higher rainfall and stronger winds the closer it tracks to shore.
