A strong storm swept the Southeast United States Saturday morning and will move northward along the East Coast through the weekend, bringing drenching rains, gusty winds and likely enough coastal flooding to inundate waterfront homes and businesses and cause beach erosion.
A variety of impacts are possible with this system, including power failures, road closures and airport delays, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service has issued storm, flood and wind advisories, watches and warnings for much of the East Coast, from South Carolina to southern New England.
Key things to know:
What’s the timing? The storm was on track to affect southeastern states from Saturday into Sunday, the Mid-Atlantic from Sunday into Monday, and southeastern New England from Sunday into Tuesday.
What are the hazards? The most concerning hazard is a significant risk of flooding, beach erosion and rough surf at the coast. Widespread heavy rain that could lead to flooding is expected across the East Coast, along with damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour at the coast, and up to 40 m.p.h. inland.
Which areas will be most affected? Stormy weather is expected from South Carolina into New England, with the most extreme weather likely occurring at the coast. The risk for significant coastal flooding from ocean waters will likely be highest in the Mid-Atlantic, especially along the coasts of Delaware, southern New Jersey and the Virginia Tidewater, a low-lying area of eastern Virginia named for the tidal rivers that flow through it.
This storm is technically a nor’easter.
This storm is being called a nor’easter by many news outlets and that’s technically correct because winds will be coming out of the northeast. But this system is a little different from what East Coast residents view as a typical nor’easter that brings a wallop of heavy snow.
“There will absolutely not be any snow with this,” said Bob Goodman, a meteorologist with the Weather Service office in Upton, N.Y. “This is happening so early in the season that we’re still fairly warm.”
The system formed off the coast of the southeastern United States on Friday, bringing rain to Florida on Friday and dumping rain over coastal Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina early on Saturday.
As the storm moves north, strong winds and drenching rains are expected up and down much of the East Coast, with coastal areas from South Carolina to New England predicted to record two to four inches, even five inches, of rain in coming days.
Washington and Philadelphia are likely to record about 0.5 inch to one inch.
Along the coast, the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Long Island, New Jersey and eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, could get the highest rainfall amounts and some of the strongest winds.
Mr. Goodman said that isolated wind gusts could reach 60 m.p.h. on Long Island and at the Jersey Shore from Sunday night into Monday, though they’re not expected to reach the level of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when wind speeds topped 70 to 80 m.p.h.
Messy weather is headed for New York City and New Jersey.
New York City is predicted to record 1.5 to 3 inches of rain from Sunday into Monday, and potentially even more in the worst-case scenario.
“Some of the latest information is pointing in that direction,” Mr. Goodman said. “We’re not sure where that could happen. It could be anywhere from the Jersey Shore to Manhattan into Long Island.”
Blustery weather is expected in the city from Sunday night into Monday, with isolated gusts up to 50 m.p.h. Delays at the airports are possible, Mr. Goodman said.
Concerns about the storm prompted New Jersey to announce a state of emergency beginning on Saturday night. Organizers of some outdoor activities scheduled for the weekend, including the Staten Island Half Marathon, canceled their events.
Rough surf and beach erosion are expected at the coast.
This storm will bring the threat of major flooding at the coast as strong winds and surf will slam coastal areas during the exceptionally high “spring tides.”
Coastal communities in the Mid-Atlantic states are at the highest risk of flooding.
“The biggest concern along the East Coast isn’t going to be the rain so much,” said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. “If there’s going to be major flooding, it’s going to be oceanic salt water flooding rather than freshwater flooding.”
The flooding, combined with turbulent seas, could scour away beaches, causing significant erosion.
Coastal flood watches and warnings were issued across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Watches mean that hazardous conditions are possible and people should prepare, while warnings are a call to take immediate action with flooding imminent or occurring.
A flood watch was in effect through 8 a.m. Sunday for the Outer Banks, a vulnerable area that juts into the ocean and has already been whipped by winds and waves this year during Hurricanes Erin, Humberto and Imelda.
These storms didn’t make direct landfall on the East Coast but still delivered damaging swells. During Humberto and Imelda some unoccupied condemned homes collapsed into the ocean.
“There are still vulnerable structures out there,” said Ryan Ellis, a meteorologist with National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C. “As the storms come through, there are some homes that don’t survive and we expect that to continue to happen.”
Judson Jones contributed reporting.
Amy Graff is a Times reporter covering weather, wildfires and earthquakes.
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