Tens of millions of people across the north-eastern United States are in the path of a powerful nor’easter storm, bringing coastal flooding, heavy rainfall, strong winds, power outages, travel chaos, and cancelled stadium events.
States of emergency and weather warnings
The US National Weather Service (NWS) stated that the storm, peaking on Saturday, would bring dangerous coastal flooding, beach conditions, strong winds, and heavy rainfall to areas including New York City and Boston. States of emergency have been declared in New York and New Jersey, with the latter already facing a coastal deluge. Rain and strong winds are forecast to stretch from Virginia to Maine.
NWS warned residents to prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including submerged roads and impacts on homes and businesses. Officials in New York warned of wind gusts reaching up to 55mph (86km/h) throughout the weekend, potentially causing downed trees and outages.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill urged residents to take the storm seriously, stay alert, and follow local guidance. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised residents in a video message not to travel unless necessary and to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters.
Infrastructure and travel impacts
The storm has caused widespread power outages, leaving nearly 150,000 households without electricity, according to poweroutageus.
In aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration recommended that travellers check with airlines regarding flight statuses. FlightAware reported that more than 1,100 flights had been delayed and another 400 grounded. A Saturday full moon is projected to worsen coastal inundations, with streets and homes already flooded in New Jersey coastal communities such as Surf City and Manasquan.
Event cancellations
Numerous high-profile events, concerts, and sports fixtures have been called off due to the severe weather.
In the Boston area, Ed Sheeran’s concert at Gillette Stadium was cancelled for safety reasons. The Boston Red Sox postponed a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs from Sunday afternoon to the following Friday.
Other cancellations include a professional football match between Red Bull New York and St Louis City SC, and the Global Citizen Festival in New York City’s Central Park, which was scheduled to be headlined by Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and John Legend.
