A powerful nor’easter has brought flooding, high winds and power outages to the north-eastern United States, with authorities warning residents to avoid beaches and inundated areas.
More than 88,000 homes and businesses were without electricity by Saturday afternoon, although the figure had fallen from a peak of 119,000 earlier in the day. More than 400 flights were cancelled, while sporting and musical events were also disrupted.
Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said the storm was likely to continue bringing strong winds, high tides and heavy rain over the next few days.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared states of emergency on Friday in counties expected to experience the worst conditions, including New York City.
Ms Hochul urged people to stay away from the water as flooding and high tides affected coastal communities.
“Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” she said.
Flooded streets in Long Island, New York, were used by some people as makeshift waterways, while others took advantage of large waves in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Jay Boyd, a resident of Ocean City, Maryland, said water had risen sharply in the area’s canals and was reaching people’s back yards.
“In all the canals, the water is up really high and coming into people’s back yards,” he said.
Mr Oravec said nor’easters were not unusual as New England entered autumn, although the storm appeared to have arrived earlier than usual for one of such strength.
Flight data showed about 425 cancellations and 1,338 delays on Saturday. Ed Sheeran’s scheduled concerts in Massachusetts on Friday and Saturday were among the events cancelled because of the weather.
