Nor'easter has New England bracing for floods, power outages

BOSTON — A nor’easter barreled up the U.S. coast Tuesday, and forecasters warned it could bring flooding, hurricane-force wind gusts and widespread power outages to New England.

The worst of the storm was expected to lash the region late Tuesday through Wednesday morning. Wind gusts as high as 75 mph were forecast on Cape Cod, with sustained wind as high as 45 mph. The National Weather Service warned that waves off the Massachusetts coast could reach 19 feet.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority suspended its ferry service Tuesday and Wednesday. In Salem, which hosts one of the nation’s largest Halloween festivals through October, the town canceled ferry service to Boston, urging visitors to take a commuter train instead.

Waves and winds will strengthen for areas of coastal Massachusetts. Our Field Correspondent Jonathan Petramala sent in this report. #Massachusetts #wind #waves #storm #noreaster pic.twitter.com/RSIhGJTpb3

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) October 26, 2021

The early nor’easter arrives before many trees have shed their leaves for the winter, raising the risk for power outages as branches covered in wet, heavy leaves blow onto transmission lines. Eversource, a power company that serves much of New England, warned that widespread outages were possible through Wednesday.

In New Bedford, a covid-19 testing operation closed early because of the storm, and residents were urged to secure outdoor furniture and bring pets inside.

Flash flood warnings remained in effect through Tuesday evening in southern Connecticut, northeastern New Jersey and southeastern New York, along with high wind warnings from New York to Massachusetts.

This nor'easter will bring strong wind gusts tonight that could knock out power for tens of thousands in the region.

Bring in outdoor furniture and Halloween decorations, and remember: NEVER operate a generator indoors. We're LIVE. pic.twitter.com/OxmQaueXvv

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) October 26, 2021

The storm disrupted travel plans for some, like Pat Clarke, of Plymouth, Mass.

“When we heard about the weather, we changed our minds and thought we’d better get home,” Clarke told NBC Boston. “There will be a lot of wind, rain and streets flooded and trees down, so here we are.”

The storm disrupted some flights, and federal officials warned about possible delays or cancellations.

The storm, which is expected to be felt as far north as Nova Scotia, drenched the mid-Atlantic earlier Tuesday, dropping nearly 5 inches of rain on parts of New Jersey. Strong wind was forecast for the area through Wednesday.

Nor'easter does a classic New England loop-dee-loop next 24-48 hours, prolonging the rain/wind effects...certainly have seen this before in some of our more infamous storms pic.twitter.com/m5lgXus2cK

— Terry Eliasen (@TerryWBZ) October 26, 2021

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delayed the opening of state offices because of the wind and rain, calling the day “a wash out.” Rutgers University moved classes online for the day, and some colleges and schools canceled altogether.

New York and New Jersey had issued emergency declarations on Monday ahead of the storm, but there was little evidence of calamity as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Street flooding is already happening in Staten Island, NY. More rain and high wind are on the way to New York City and southern New England.

The WeatherNation team is on top of the flood and high wind hazards throughout today and tomorrow.#NYwx #NYC #rain #flood pic.twitter.com/L0OnHWmKjO

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) October 26, 2021

In the waters off New York’s Long Island, the Coast Guard and local police searched Tuesday for a kayaker who did not return from a trip Monday night. He left a few hours before heavy rain started falling.

The storm arrives just weeks after the remnants of Hurricane Ida inundated the Northeast and caused deadly flooding.