One dead as powerful storm causes flooding, power outages in northeastern US | Weather news

Authorities are warning residents that extreme conditions could pose risks and urging them to stay away from flooded areas.

People in the northeastern United States are facing a nor’easter, a powerful storm commonly known as a nor’easter, which has knocked out power and caused flooding throughout the region.

The New York City Housing Authority said Saturday that one of its employees was killed by a falling tree in Brooklyn, as the storm battered the city with rain and high winds.

About 425 flights were canceled and 3,016 delayed as of 9:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (01:50 GMT), according to data from FlightAware flight tracker.

The storm also led to power outages affecting nearly 73,000 homes and businesses on Saturday evening local time. This figure is down from a high of 119,000 recorded earlier in the day.

Concerts and sporting events have also been canceled, including musician Ed Sheeran’s shows scheduled in Massachusetts for Friday and Saturday.

Bob Oravec, chief forecaster for the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said the storm was expected to persist, with “lots of high winds, lots of high tides and heavy rain possible over the next few days for the northeastern United States.”

Earlier Friday, the governors of New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency in counties expected to see the worst of the storm, including New York.

Authorities also warned residents of the risk of flooding and high tides, advising them to stay away from the beach and areas inundated with water.

“Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” said New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.

Despite warnings, people were seen kayaking through flooded streets on Long Island, New York, while others took advantage of heavy swells in Hampton, New Hampshire.

“In all the canals, the water is very high and coming into people’s backyards,” Jay Boyd, a resident of Ocean City, Maryland, told the Associated Press news agency.

Oravec said northeast storms are not unusual as the New England region enters the fall season, but “it might be a little earlier than average for a big storm.”