Powerful nor'easter floods US East Coast, at least one dead
A powerful nor'easter storm flooded the US Atlantic coast from North Carolina to New England over the weekend, killing at least one person, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of households and forcing dozens of water rescues in New Jersey.
Storm hits a wide stretch of coastline
A powerful storm known as a nor'easter battered the US Atlantic coast from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to New England over the weekend of September 26–28, bringing strong winds, flooding, dangerous rip currents and significant coastal erosion. The Boston and New York City metropolitan areas were among the hardest-hit regions.
Fatality and rescue operations
At least one person died in the storm — a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) worker was killed Saturday when a tree fell on him in the East New York section of Brooklyn. In Sea Bright, New Jersey, rescuers pulled 67 people to safety, including 45 from flooded homes, according to ABC7. Footage from Deal, New Jersey, showed rescue crews wading through knee-deep floodwater.
Power outages and damage
Sources give differing figures for power outages. The Guardian, citing Poweroutage.US, reported about 110,500 households without power Sunday afternoon, including more than 21,000 in New York and around 11,940 in New Jersey. FOX Weather later reported more than 40,000 customers without power across the Northeast (over 20,000 in New York, over 13,000 in Connecticut, over 6,000 in New Jersey). ABC7 said outages in New Jersey had fallen to around 2,400 by Monday morning as crews rapidly restored service.
New York City alone logged more than 1,000 reports of downed trees. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency covering eight counties, including the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn, while New Jersey placed eight counties under a state of emergency.
Coastal flooding and erosion
In Atlantic City, water rose 3.26 feet above normally dry ground — the highest level since Hurricane Sandy's 4.16-foot rise, according to FOX Weather. Significant erosion hit beaches from the Outer Banks to New England, including Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Near Nantucket, storm waves uncovered a piece of wreckage believed to belong to the schooner Warren Sawyer, which ran aground in 1884.
Outlook
The National Weather Service said the storm began weakening Sunday night, though rain continued Monday across the Mid-Atlantic and New England along with a final high-tide flood cycle. Flood watches remained in effect across New England through Monday night. The storm also disrupted air travel — FlightAware recorded more than 5,000 flight delays and around 550 cancellations, while Boston Logan Airport briefly implemented a ground delay program.
