A major coastal storm will bring heavy rain and damaging winds to New York City and the surrounding area from late Tuesday through midday Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. The strongest winds are expected from 10pm to 3am, with gusts of up to 70mph along the coast. A citywide flood watch was in effect as of Wednesday afternoon, and widespread power outages were expected
Here are three things to know about the storm:
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Rain began moving toward New York City in the early afternoon.
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As the winds intensified, residents were urged to secure outdoor items or move them indoors.
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Fallen trees and limbs are expected to obstruct roads in and around the city as the storm continues.
Local officials are preparing.
The storm will not bring snow to New York City, where temperatures are expected to remain above freezing. Most areas that received snow a few days ago will see it melt as this warmer, more powerful storm moves through.
The type of weather pattern at play here has historically produced concerns of flooding and flash flooding in the area, forecasters at the Weather Prediction Center wrote Tuesday morning. Rainfall on residual snow from last weekend's winter storm will exacerbate the risk of flooding fears in those same areas. Any downstream areas within river basins are also at risk of flooding.
Local authorities were preparing. In New York, the state Department of Transportation Ban empty trucks and trailers from certain roads Because of the wind. New York City was Send teams for disinfection Drains were clogged, and officials urged residents to do the same. Electricity companies organized crews to respond to power outages after the storm.
“The risk is high,” New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement, warning people to prepare for floods.
In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said that a state of emergency would be in effect as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
“This storm will exacerbate the effects of the extreme conditions we saw in December and last weekend,” he said.
Governor Hochul suggested that people who live in flood-prone areas — “and a large portion of our state is in flood zones,” she added — should have a travel bag stocked with items in case they need to be evacuated.
Forecasters described the storm as a “high-impact event.”
Rain moved into the New York area in the afternoon and continued to spread across the entire metro area by early evening amid what the National Weather Service described as a “high-impact event.” Temperatures remained relatively warm, and the winds picked up as darkness began to fall.
A high wind warning was in effect across New York City, as well as Long Island and coastal Connecticut, with a citywide warning in effect from 6pm Tuesday until noon Wednesday. (These warnings are issued for possible winds of 40 mph or faster and lasting at least one hour, or if wind speeds will reach at least 58 mph)
Coastal areas are expected to feel winds of up to 70 mph, and meteorologists have warned people to avoid being outside. These damaging winds will down trees and power lines, potentially causing widespread power outages and disrupting traffic.
Heavy rains are likely to lead to flooding in various areas, especially on Tuesday evening. Widespread and moderate to major river flooding also poses a threat overnight and into Wednesday morning. Coastal flooding is also possible across much of Long Island and coastal southeastern Connecticut with high tides Wednesday morning.
What comes next?
The storm system is expected to move northeast into the New York area on Wednesday, with a little rain during the day and then drying out later. Gusty winds will continue on Wednesday but will slowly calm down over the weekend when the next storm system arrives.
That storm, which begins Friday and lasts through Saturday, is expected to be similar, with wet conditions and high winds. After it passes, cold weather will return, with more winter storm potential early next week, although it's too early to know many details about that storm.
