New York

Nor'easter Floods Streets, Topples Trees and Wreaks Havoc on Commutes

Streets were inundated with water in New Jersey, trees were toppled on Long Island and NYC commuters were left stranded

What to Know

  • The tri-state was drenched with rain and battered with wind Monday as a powerful nor'easter gained strength over the ocean
  • Coastal communities on Long Island and in New Jersey were flooded and trees were toppled in towns across the region
  • Wind downed electrical wires in Linden, New Jersey, damaging a signal system used by Amtrak and NJ Transit, wreaking havoc on commutes

A powerful nor’easter unleashed rain and wind on communities across the tri-state as it continued its push through the Northeast Monday night, toppling trees, flooding streets and wreaking havoc on transit systems.

The storm sent objects flying in New York City, cut power to thousands on Long Island and New Jersey, crippled rail service and dropped snow on the Hudson Valley on Monday.

New York City, Long Island and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut were under a slew of weather advisories, watches and warnings. See the latest Storm Team 4 updates for your county and school closings.

The nor’easter that flooded parts of the tri-state Monday night continued to threaten coastal communities Tuesday morning as high tide neared. Downed trees and power lines only made things worse. Katherine Creag reports.

Storm Team 4 said strong gusts will gradually ease Tuesday morning; peak gusts will range between 30 and 40 mph. It will still be cloudy and breezy with lingering showers throughout the day, but the worst of the nor’easter is over by Tuesday evening. Highs will be in the low 40s.

Temperatures warm into the low 50s on Wednesday and stay in the 50s on a damp Thursday, Storm Team 4 said. It gets colder on Friday and into the weekend but it will remain dry and even be sunny at times.

New Yorkers Wrestle With Wind, Rain as Nor'easter Bears Down

Wind was the main concern with the nor'easter throughout the day Monday as gusts approached 60 mph and offshore winds neared hurricane levels of 74 mph or higher. Train service was interrupted by downed power lines; Amtrak suspended service for Northeast Regional and Acela Express trains traveling in New Jersey, and NJ Transit halted service between Trenton and New York City. 

Huge waves and whipping winds pummeled the Jersey Shore as a nor’easter moved over the tri-state area. The U.S. Coast Guard said winds gusted up to 60 mph on parts of the shore. Checkey Beckford reports from Asbury Park.

Other railroads contended with downed trees and utility poles on tracks, including on Long Island, where a downed utility pole prompted an LIRR suspension on the Port Washington Branch. 

The wind pulled off part of a roof in New Jersey's Long Branch and uprooted a 40-foot tree outside a West Orange home. In downtown Jersey City, scaffolding swung off and away from a building at 15 Exchange Place; firefighters secured it, and there were no injuries, city officials said. Debris also flew from roofs of buildings in Manhattan. No one was injured. 

By late afternoon, utility companies were reporting thousands of power outages, particularly on Long Island and in New Jersey. In New York City, several hundred customers were without power in Marine Park, Brooklyn, according to Con Edison. Most power was restored by Tuesday morning.

On Long Island, a nor’easter brought fierce winds that knocked out power and toppled trees. There was also significant flooding in some areas that trapped residents in their homes. Gus Rosendale reports from Lindenhurst.

What to know for Tuesday:

• Wind advisory for coastal counties and New York City into Tuesday

• Winter weather advisory for Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster, Orange, Sullivan, Pike, Sussex, and northern Passaic counties through Tuesday

• Flood watch for most of the tri-state area into Tuesday morning

• Coastal flood warning in effect through Tuesday morning for Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Nassau, Suffolk, and southern Westchester counties, as well as Staten Island

• Coastal flood advisory in effected into Tuesday morning for eastern Essex, eastern Union and southern Fairfield counties, as well as Brooklyn and Queens

A nor’easter caused major headaches for commuters Monday as they faced flooded tracks and crowded trains. Downed wires in Linden, New Jersey, crippled service for NJ Transit and Amtrak trains using the Northeast Corridor, leading to lengthy delays. Ray Villeda reports from Penn Station.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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