A powerful nor’easter tore through the New York City region Saturday, killing a 56-year-old Brooklyn man and knocking out power to more than 100,000 homes along the Atlantic Coast as officials warned the worst had yet to arrive.
The man died after winds gusting to 45 mph toppled a tree on Euclid Avenue in East New York around 3:30 p.m., police said. He suffered what authorities described as trauma throughout his body, was rushed to Brookdale Hospital, and was pronounced dead shortly after 5 p.m. He has not been publicly identified.
The storm began battering the region late Friday and is forecast to dump up to 8 inches of rain before moving offshore Monday. Winds in parts of the Northeast could reach 80 mph, arriving in waves with brief lulls in between.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared states of emergency for New York City, Westchester County and all of Long Island, and cautioned residents that conditions would worsen.
“Mark my words, much more is coming,” Hochul said at a Saturday morning press conference. “With tonight’s full moon the tides may even be higher. We expect waves of 20 feet in some areas.”
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared emergencies in eight counties as coastal flooding hit the Jersey Shore alongside Queens, Staten Island and Long Island, where storm surge combined with high tides to swamp streets.
Queens took a heavy hit, with kayakers paddling down flooded roads in Howard Beach and an Uber driver bailing water out of his submerged car on Almeda Avenue in Far Rockaway.
Two police officers were injured on the Jackie Robinson Parkway in Glendale after high winds brought down a tree and a lightpole. While the officers waited in their patrol car for utility crews, a Nissan SUV crashed into the vehicle. Both officers were treated at a hospital and released in stable condition; the SUV’s 60-year-old driver was treated at the scene.
As of 7 a.m. Saturday, roughly 30,000 customers in New Jersey and 20,000 in New York were without power, with utility crews facing downed trees and lines across the region.
Weekend Plans Washed Out
The storm forced the cancellation of the Global Citizens Festival in Central Park, which had been expected to draw 60,000 people, along with the All Things Go Festival at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. Ed Sheeran canceled weekend concerts in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Several Queens bus routes were rerouted because of flooding and downed wires. Subway service ran on schedule, but the Long Island Rail Road suspended service on its Port Jefferson and Long Branch lines Saturday morning due to fallen trees.
New York City’s Emergency Management Department urged residents living in basement apartments to move to higher floors as flooding risks grew.
Barrier Islands Bear the Brunt
Barrier islands in New Jersey and Long Island absorbed the heaviest flooding. In Surf City on Long Beach Island, resident Andy Carreno waded through knee-high water while carrying a young relative. Marina owner Kenny Formica said the storm swept away boats despite efforts to secure them the day before.
“This is like an 8,000-pound boat and, you know, a $150,000 boat — just gone,” Formica said, adding he hadn’t seen flooding this severe since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Despite warnings, some beachgoers headed out anyway. Waves reached 10 feet at Rockaway Beach, drawing surfers including Preston Head, 35, who traveled from Laguna Beach, California.
“The ocean can be cruel. Today it is very violent,” Head said. “I had some of the best barrels that I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
His board didn’t survive the session. Local boogie boarder Bobby Gonzalez gave up entirely.
“It wasn’t working for me today. The waves were just smashing me in the face,” Gonzalez said. “It was exhausting just trying to get out there.”
More Rain, Then a Break
Forecasters expect 4 to 6 inches of rain in New York City and 6 to 8 inches along the Jersey Shore and eastern Long Island before the system tapers off Monday afternoon.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Mike Doll said sustained northeast winds combined with high astronomical tides mean coastal flooding could reach levels not seen in years for some communities.
“Due to the prolonged nature of the northeasterly winds, water levels from coastal flooding may be the highest for some locations in several years,” Doll said. “Severe beach erosion has already occurred in some areas and will continue to be a problem through the weekend.”
Doll also warned that saturated ground and leaf-heavy trees remain vulnerable to toppling, which could extend power outages into early next week for some communities. Clearer weather is expected Tuesday through Thursday, with highs in the low to middle 70s and overnight lows in the 50s to lower 60s.
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