Nor’easter brings heavy rain and wind to the US East Coast

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Thousands of people were without power Friday evening on the U.S. East Coast as roads flooded in some coastal New Jersey communities, the first major signs of a powerful nor’easter that is expected to create dangerous conditions through the weekend.

Tens of millions of people are in the path of the storm which is already beginning to batter the region with strong winds and rain as the region braces for much more. Dangerous flooding is expected along the Mid-Atlantic coast, especially near New Jersey and Delaware, according to the National Weather Service.

In the coastal neighborhood of Surf City, New Jersey, water, with waves rippling across its surface, flooded streets, inundating some homes. About 54.7 kilometers from the coast, in the borough of Manasquan, where some roads were also flooded, Mayor Mike Mangan said he expected “a lot of water on the streets for a long time.” A voluntary evacuation had already been ordered in some low-lying areas of the community.

Concerts have been canceledas well as dozens of flights to Boston, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard airports Friday and Saturday. Several airlines were offering to waive some change or cancellation fees for some East Coast flights over the weekend.

New Jersey communities prepare for major flooding

Brian Kelly, mayor of the small New Jersey beach community of Sea Bright, said the borough is bracing for winds of up to 50 mph (80 kph) and flooding of up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) on some streets. Authorities expect flooding to begin Saturday and worsen around midday.

“It’s going to be worse than average. We probably have one or two floods a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I think this one will be closer to an Irene-scale flood,” Kelly said, referring to the 2011 storm that caused significant flooding in the Northeast. “I hope I’m wrong, but that’s my intuition.”

Kelly hopes hundreds of residents living in low-lying areas will consider evacuating. He said the city would open its recreation center for evacuees.

Devastating winds threaten New England coast

Maximum wind gusts could approach 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Friday night and Saturday, compared to about 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 kph) around Boston and 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 kph) farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, an NWS meteorologist in Norton. Massachusetts.

“The closer you are to the coast, the more likely you are to see impacts from the storm,” Belk said.

Belk said northeast winds are not unusual as fall approaches in New England, but a concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on the trees, creating more wind resistance. That could increase the risk of falling limbs, which could cause power outages and leave debris on roadways, he said.

Along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, wind gusts could reach 60 mph, according to the NWS. In southeastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York, gusts could become nearly as strong, potentially destroying tree branches and power lines.

Storm disrupts concerts, baseball and flights

More than 200 flights to and from airports in Boston, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and New York were canceled Friday, and more cancellations were already in place for Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox announced their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs would be adjusted. The team moved the game from Sunday afternoon to Friday to create a split doubleheader. Separately, Ed Sheeran announced that its high-profile Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, would be canceled due to the storm.

Public ferry service connecting Cape Cod to the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard saw numerous cancellations Friday due to high winds and rough water.

In Rhode Island, ferries were also canceled to Block Island. Disruption to ferry service is also expected to continue until Saturday.

For people who regularly travel to and from the islands, the possibility of getting stuck on one side or the other is “a part of life,” said Sean Driscoll, a spokesman for Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and the Nantucket Steamship Authority. Most people have contingency plans in place in case boats are canceled.

“It’s a nuisance, but you know, we know what to do with this stuff at this point,” he said. “It’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

Ashley Destino of Gloucester, a coastal town in northern Massachusetts, enjoyed a walk along the beach with her two young children before preparing to stay home during the storm.

“We came to the beach Friday afternoon because we knew we were going to be inside all weekend,” said Destino, who prepares Legos and arts and crafts to entertain her two children, ages 7 and 4.

She also prepared by securing her boat with extra lines, and her husband brought out a generator in case the power went out.

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Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston; Rodrique Ngowi in Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.