Nor'easter Batters US Northeast for Second Day, Flooding Coasts and Cutting Power
A slow-moving nor'easter flooded coastal communities in the US Northeast for a second day, cutting power to tens of thousands and prompting warnings of more high-tide flooding.
A powerful nor'easter continued to lash the northeastern United States on Sunday, forcing residents of coastal communities to wade through floodwaters for a second consecutive day as tidal surges and strong winds battered the shoreline.
The slow-moving storm has knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of homes. In New Jersey, surging tides inundated low-lying neighborhoods, while wind gusts brought down trees and utility poles on New York's Long Island, damaging homes.
In the New Jersey beach town of Sea Bright, each high tide delivered a fresh round of flooding. Streets were submerged, vehicles sat in standing water and residents could be seen walking through the deluge as waves crashed on the beach nearby. Farther north on Long Island, floodwaters surrounded businesses in Freeport, including a lobster restaurant, while trees and a US flag whipped in the wind.
The storm has been blamed for one death: a New York City Housing Authority worker was killed Saturday when a tree fell. The system was expected to linger through Sunday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf conditions as far north as New England.
Residents in parts of New Jersey said the flooding reached levels not seen in close to a decade, a result of extreme rainfall — more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) in some spots since Friday — combined with a surging ocean.
The National Weather Service forecast that the storm would weaken overnight Sunday, with locally heavy rain continuing in parts of New England and the mid-Atlantic. Even so, local officials in New Jersey and New York cautioned residents that the late high tide on Monday could bring additional flooding.