A powerful coastal storm is set to hit New York City and the Northeast starting Sunday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and rising tides. The storm is developing off the coast this weekend and is expected to affect the region through Monday and into Tuesday.
Forecasters warn that New York and nearby areas like Long Island, southern Connecticut, and parts of New Jersey should prepare for coastal flooding. At Manhattan’s Battery, tides could rise as much as 3.7 feet above normal early Monday. While the storm isn’t tropical, it could still cause significant damage.
The threat includes strong wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour along the shoreline, beginning Sunday afternoon and lasting into Monday morning. These winds may knock out power in some areas and could disrupt transportation in this densely populated part of the country.
Rainfall is expected to range from 2 to 4 inches across coastal areas stretching from Maine down to South Carolina. There’s also a chance of heavy rain from Boston down to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, between Sunday and Monday. This is good news for many parts of the region currently facing drought conditions. About two-thirds of New York state is in drought, and neighboring New England states are also very dry. The Southeast is dealing with drought over nearly half its area.
The storm will likely ease up by Monday for New York, and by Tuesday it should be moving away from the Northeast. While the weather may cause some headaches, the rain will help ease the drought in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
People in the region should keep an eye on local weather updates and take precautions against flooding and strong winds as this storm moves through.