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The National Weather Service in New York has updated rainfall totals in the metro area, with Newark, New Jersey, receiving more than three inches of rain and Central Park measuring 2.73 inches.
The weather service advised that rain bands will circulate over the region for about the next 12 hours.
The nor’easter has caused some power outages in parts of the East Coast. Damaging winds are expected to blow down trees and power lines in certain areas. A high wind warning was in place for parts of eastern Long Island, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
“Widespread power outages are expected,” according to the National Weather Service. “Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”
Eversource Energy, New England’s largest energy provider, warned that more than 100,000 customers could lose power in the storm, as early season nor’easters present a greater risk to power lines because the leaves are still on the trees.
If you lose power, here are some tips to stay safe:
If you have low bandwidth, use CNN’s lite site to get the latest updates on conditions in your area.
CNN’s Scottie Andrew, Monica Garrett, Jason Hanna and Dave Hennen contributed reporting to this post.
Connecticut and Long Island have seen some of the highest wind speeds during today’s nor’easter. According to the National Weather Service, here are some of the highest reports over the past 24 hours:
Connecticut
New York
Leaders on New York’s Long Island are reporting limited impacts from the nor’easter so far.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said Tuesday she is keeping a watchful eye on the nor’easter, but she doesn’t expect the effects of the storm to be on the same scale and as devastating as Tropical Storm Ida.
Curran said there have already been a couple dozen power outages in Nassau County. The rain and wind will continue until tomorrow morning, and said they’re “looking out for the potential of fallen trees, fallen limbs, down power lines.”
At least 16 car crashes have already occurred in Nassau County. Curran urged everyone to drive with caution and warned people to be watchful of flooding, which can occur due to high tides around the later afternoon.
Medics and the police department will be on standby to help anyone in distress, Curran said.
Meanwhile, Suffolk County leaders are following New York state’s lead in issuing an emergency declaration as they anticipate worse winds that could cause widespread power outages, downed wires and trees and road issues.
The storm has had limited impact of rain so far that county officials and crews can manage, acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron said. However, heavy rain and strong wind create may result is worsened driving conditions and widespread power loss as the winds likely pick up tonight, according to County Executive Steven Bellone.
“You’ve got a storm that is delivering both heavy rains and high winds, which poses significant challenges of course,” Bellone said.
The rain has been heavy enough at points to obscure visibility for drivers, Cameron said. The county saw 23 motor vehicle crashes between midnight and 11:15 a.m. ET.
CNN’s Kelly Christ contributed to this report.
New York City received between two to three inches of rainfall since the nor’easter began hitting the region last night, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference. The city received reports of wind gusts up to 29 miles per hour in Central Park and up to 39 miles per hour at LaGuardia Airport
De Blasio said that his administration was remaining vigilant about the storm, which hit on the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy.
As of Tuesday morning, approximately 200 customers were without power but Con Edison is on the scene, Andrew D’Amora, acting Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), said.
De Blasio said custodial staff at 250 schools around the city stayed overnight to make sure there were no flooding issues for children heading into class Tuesday morning.
Teams dropped 450 sandbags in key areas like Queens and 4,500 catch basins were cleaned by NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Sanitation.
D’Amora said NYC’s Emergency Operation Center opened up Monday night and will be open through the remainder of the storm, adding that the city activated its flash flood emergency plan on Sunday in anticipation of the effects of the nor’easter.
De Blasio addressed concerns as to why he decided not to hold a briefing Monday night to address storm concerns, saying “What we saw Monday morning has held throughout — we didn’t see a major change in the storm.”
“What we’ve done now is to bring in additional forecasting services, beyond NWS to constantly monitor…the warnings that were being provided during the day on Monday proved to be consistent to what we saw as we went into late night Monday and again Tuesday morning,” de Blasio said.
New Jersey is preparing for a long storm lasting through the night with heavy winds in the afternoon and evening, Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday.
Here’s a look at how the storm has impacted the state so far:
When asked if Hurricane Ida changed his mindset in preparing for future storms like today’s, Murphy said that each storm is different with different conditions.
Police search-and-rescue vehicles are traversing flood waters in Union Beach, New Jersey.
Police Chief Michael J. Woodrow said such vehicles were used throughout the night with their fire and emergency services partners in making over a dozen water rescues since severe rain and flooding began affecting the region.
There were no injuries reported in any of the rescues and no one has required any first aid or hospital care, Woodrow said.
Woodrow added that the town has gotten “countless” calls for service and multiple vehicles have been submerged in water. High tide is expected at 11 a.m. ET, Woodrow said.
The police chief said their officers are “more than prepared to deal with any and all emergencies,” given the town’s past experience with severe weather.
A nor’easter is a storm along the East Coast with winds typically coming from the northeast, according to the National Weather Service.
The storms can occur at any time of year but are most common between September and April.
In winter, temperatures associated with a nor’easter can be much more extreme than in the fall, which can lead to more intense storms and snow. The storms can cause beach erosion and rough ocean conditions, with winds of 58 mph or more.
And about that name? According to the National Weather Service, “A Nor’easter is a storm along the East Coast of North America, so called because the winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast.”
Here are some of the highest rainfall amounts during the nor’easter so far, according to the National Weather Service.
Some areas in northern New Jersey saw rainfall near 4 inches:
Staten Island in New York has seen rainfall of 3.48”, while midtown Manhattan recorded 3 inches so far.
Heavy rain has prompted several flash flood warnings across northern New Jersey that is producing “life threatening flash flooding,” according to the National Weather Service.
The warnings include over 5 million people.
Reports indicate that more than 3.5 inches of rain has already fallen across areas of New Jersey just west and south of New York City.
Additional rainfall of 1-2 inches is possible through the morning hours. Storm reports from the region indicate high-water rescues, numerous road closures and rivers quickly reaching flood stages.
Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Perth Amboy, Somerset and Morristown are several cities in New Jersey that are included in the flash flood warnings.
Eight customers in Queens, New York, have temporarily lost power after two manholes caught on fire, a spokesperson for Con Edison said.
Around 1:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, crews were dispatched to the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens to the manhole fires, which were caused by severe weather affecting the region, said Con Edison spokesperson Karl-Erik Stromsta. He also confirmed that there were no injuries reported.
Crews are currently working at the site and are expected to restore service around 10:30 a.m. ET, he said.
As of 7:25 a.m. ET, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued several flash flood warnings in New Jersey.
A flash flood warning continues until 11:00 a.m. ET in central New Jersey, including the cities of New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Lakewood.
The National Weather Service in New York also issued a flash flood warning for parts of northern New Jersey, including Newark, Jersey City and Paterson until 9:30 a.m. ET.
The governors of New Jersey and New York have each issued a state of emergency in advance of an anticipated nor’easter this week, which is expected to bring heavy rainfall and flooding.
“The winds are blowing all the way down toward the deep south. The winds in Boston later on tonight and overnight could be 60 to 65 miles per hour,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.
There are two low pressure systems, one of which is already causing the rainfall. The other system is expected to get bigger later on Tuesday, he added.
“It may even get a little subtropical. Not going to get a name, but it’ll have a lot of warm water to work with. That’s the Gulf Stream. By tomorrow afternoon, things really get harrowing for parts of the Northeast. There will be winds on shore. There will be waves on shore — 8 to 12 feet tall. There will obviously be this rainfall coming down as well; high wind warnings are in effect for the costal areas,” Myers explained.
The only good news? “It’s not going to be a snowstorm. Because in a month or two from now, those temperatures would be in the 30s, and we’d be shoveling this,” he added.
Watch:
The National Weather Service in New York is urging travelers to use caution as a flash flood watch is in effect for the area today.
According to the weather service, 2 to 5 inches of rain could fall today, with locally heavier rainfall of up to 6 inches possible.
Strong winds and minor coastal flooding are also anticipated.
According to the weather service, there is currently a flash flood warning in effect for northern New Jersey, including the cities of Newark, Paterson and Jersey City until 9:30 a.m. ET.
A snowless nor’easter intensifying off the East Coast will bring heavy rains, leading to flash flooding in the New York Metro and extreme winds from New Jersey to Massachusetts today into tomorrow. Power outages will be likely in the region.
Here is what we expect across the Northeast, including in both New York and Boston.
Flooding rains are likely: The rain is already beginning in New Jersey and New York this morning. Flash flooding is being reported in parts of New Jersey, and rain will continue through the day and end overnight into Wednesday. The flash flood watch is currently scheduled to end Tuesday evening. Winds will increase through the day as the system strengthens.
Rain will move out of the area Wednesday, leaving gusty winds through the day.
Further north, Boston will see periods of rain this morning, with the heaviest Tuesday afternoon continuing into Wednesday.
Extreme winds will knock out power: A high wind warning is in place for parts of Eastern Long Island, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. “Widespread power outages are expected,” says the National Weather Service. “Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”
Eversource Energy is warning that more than 100,000 could lose power in the storm, as early season nor’easters present a greater risk to power lines since the leaves are still on the trees.
“When trees still have most of their leaves, the risk of tree-caused outages with a nor’easter is much higher,” according to Sean Redding, CT Manager of Vegetation Management. “Weighed down by the rain, the leaves act like a sail, causing the tree to bend with the wind.”
The strongest winds in New York will be Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.
In Boston, winds will increase through the day, with the strongest winds overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Conditions there will slowly improve late Wednesday morning, with some impacts lasting into the evening.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency beginning at 8 p.m. Monday night in anticipation of the nor’easter, according to a tweet from the governor.
“Severe weather conditions will impact the state starting tonight through the next several days,” Murphy said.
“A rapidly developing low pressure system south of Long Island will likely produce heavy rainfall across the region,” according to the National Weather Service in New York.
Flood and flash flood watches are in effect from southern New Jersey to northern Massachusetts.
There is no doubt that the rainfall in the Northeast over the next couple of days will be because of this strengthening low pressure system, but there remains uncertainty on how strong it will get and how close to the coast it will track.
“Anytime you have two areas of low pressure trying to combine in the warm Gulf Stream off the Northeast Coast, models will differ on their solutions,” says CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.
Forecasters are certain there will be rain but still unsure of how much. The Weather Prediction Center has issued a level 1 out of 4 “marginal risk” for excessive rainfall Monday and a level 2 “slight risk” for excessive rain Tuesday.
“Rainfall totals as this time look to be on the order of 2 to 4 inches,” the weather service in New York wrote.
But some computer weather models are showing isolated amounts of 5 to 7 inches of rainfall.
“Hopefully, this scenario does not come to fruition as this would lead to widespread flooding issues,” writes the New York weather office.
Winds are the other issue; the closer this storm tracks to the Northeast coast, the more robust the winds will feel to people living along the coastline. A closer storm also means that stronger winds will spread further inland.
Winds gusting to over 50 mph are not out of the question for eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with gusts topping out near hurricane-force on Cape Cod and the Islands.
With the winds will also come coastal flooding, which is possible during high tide cycles on both Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service said.
A similar system, made famous by George Clooney in the ’90s, has its 30th anniversary later this week. While forecasters don’t think this will be “The Perfect Storm,” it will share some similarities in the types of conditions that can be expected.
The Boston National Weather Service has an interesting write-up on the storm’s anniversary.
Another similar storm to Tuesday’s nor’easter will try to develop by the weekend, says Myers. “But the energy for that one is still off the West Coast and will need some more time to forecast accurately.”
