Powerful autumn storm disrupts travel and cuts power across northeastern US
A strengthening nor’easter brought heavy rain, dangerous winds and flooding risks to the northeastern United States on Saturday. More than 95,000 customers lacked electricity across six states, while hundreds of flights and several major cultural events were cancelled as authorities urged people to avoid exposed coastal areas.
A powerful autumn storm battered the northeastern United States with heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday, disrupting air travel, cutting electricity to tens of thousands of customers and raising the risk of coastal flooding. New York, Boston and Philadelphia were among the cities in the storm’s path. The National Weather Service warned that significant flooding could affect low-lying coastal areas over several high-tide cycles, with roads and properties potentially inundated.
More than 95,000 customers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were without power at 3pm, according to poweroutage.com. Coastal areas of New York City and Long Island were also facing dangerous conditions. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said waves could reach 20 feet in some areas and warned people against going near the water.
Up to six inches of rain was forecast for Long Island over the following days. Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged New Yorkers not to travel unless necessary, citing strong gusts and the possibility of fallen power lines. The storm caused hundreds of flight cancellations, including 253 at Boston’s Logan Airport, according to FlightAware.
JetBlue, United and American issued travel alerts allowing affected passengers to change flights without fees. The United Nations also asked broadcasters covering its General Assembly to remove equipment from outside its New York headquarters. Several cultural events were cancelled, including the Global Citizen and All Things Go festivals in New York and Oceans Calling in Maryland.
Ed Sheeran’s weekend concerts near Boston were also called off after winds reached 113 kilometres per hour along the New England coast. The storm also brought heavy rain to Massachusetts, where some areas, including Boston, were forecast to receive about five inches. Officials in parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey had already reported flooding earlier in the week.
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