Nor’easter weekend forecast: Which cities will be hit hardest? Boston vs New York City vs Jersey Shore
A powerful nor’easter is expected to batter the U.S. Northeast through the weekend. Forecasters have warned that Boston, New York City and the Jersey Shore will experience varying degrees of heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that dangerous conditions could persist into Saturday before the system begins weakening later in the day. (Image for representational purposes) (Unsplash)The storm intensified Friday as it moved toward New England. Storm-force winds over the Atlantic produced massive waves along the East Coast. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that dangerous conditions could persist into Saturday before the system begins weakening later in the day.
Forecasters said tens of millions of people are in the storm’s path. Officials have already cancelled events, advised residents on islands near Cape Cod to travel to the mainland and issued evacuation notices in vulnerable coastal communities.
Coastal flooding is expected to pose the biggest threat along the New Jersey shoreline. Governors in New Jersey and New York declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.
According to Brian Hurley, senior national forecaster at the NWS Weather Prediction Center, the heaviest rainfall is expected to fall from coastal New Jersey through Long Island, Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts.
“The heaviest rain is probably going to be from coastal Jersey, Long Island, up to Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts,” Hurley said.
Coastal flooding is expected to pose the biggest threat along the New Jersey shoreline. Governors in New Jersey and New York declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.
Further north in Sea Bright, Mayor Brian Kelly said winds could reach 50 mph (80 kph). Floodwaters may also rise as high as 6 feet on some streets.
Kelly compared the expected flooding to conditions seen during Hurricane Irene in 2011.
While New Jersey is expected to experience the greatest flooding risk, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are forecast to receive the strongest winds.
According to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Norton, Massachusetts, wind gusts could reach 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) across exposed coastal areas Friday night and Saturday.
The Boston metropolitan area could experience gusts between 50 and 55 mph (80 to 89 kph), while inland communities are expected to see winds of 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 kph).
Strong winds may bring down trees and power lines. Large waves and dangerous surf are also expected along much of the New England coastline.
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More
