Powerful storm hitting the east coast with wind and rain
New York City officials warned commuters to brace for disrupted travel conditions as a powerful storm was expected to hit the area with heavy winds and major flooding starting on Sunday and lasting through Monday.
The National Weather Service said a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico moving toward the East Coast and could produce two to four inches of rain in New York City and northeastern New Jersey. As much as four inches of rain could fall in some areas, the weather service said.
Downpours were also forecast in areas east of I-95 in Washington and Baltimore, the Weather Service said, and flooding watches were issued for those areas. The More than six inches of snow could fall in the Allegheny Mountainswhich could make travel difficult, forecasters said.
So were parts of Delaware, including New Castle, and Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia under a flood watch. a storm watch was issued off parts of the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The storm is forecast to produce severe thunderstorms over coastal eastern North Carolina and eastern Southern Carolina through Monday morning. the weather forecast center said. The thunderstorms can regularly bring lightning and gusts of wind.
Along the New York coast, flooding with up to 20 feet of flooding and sustained winds of 40 to 60 miles per hour, with gusts of 60 to 60 miles per hour, could damage power lines and topple trees, the Weather Service said.
“If you have loose items outside, now is a good time to secure them before the wind starts,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a speech. press release on Saturday. “People in low-lying areas with poor drainage should take extra precautions.”
Officials said flooding could damage vehicles and cause road closures. They encouraged commuters to take public transportation or plan extra travel time.
Those living in basements were asked to move to higher ground, and all residents were advised to download those provided by the city emergency alert application.
The heaviest rain was forecast for the city on Sunday night. Winds were expected to be strongest early to mid-morning Monday, officials said, with gusts of up to 60 mph whipping through Brooklyn and Queens. Waves 12 to 16 feet high could pound the coastline, the weather service said.
The National Weather Service in New York a coastal flood warning issued from 10 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday for southern Westchester County and several southern Connecticut communities, including New Haven.
Residents in vulnerable areas should prepare for flooding of up to one meter, the warning said.
The storm is the second to hit the East Coast in recent days. A week ago, many of the same communities were under similar surveillance and warnings.
“Even though the major storm will begin moving from the Northeast Monday evening, the storm’s massive circulation will spread across the entire eastern U.S. under very stormy conditions,” the Weather Service said.