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PROVIDENCE, RI (AP) – More than 70,000 customers were without electricity in the US Northeast on Saturday, the effect of a powerful nor’easter expected to create dangerous conditions through the weekend. Forecasters warned of gale force winds that could bring down trees and heavy rain that could flood roads.
Tens of millions of people are in the path of the storm, which has already begun to batter the region with strong winds and rain, as the region braces for much more. Dangerous flooding is expected along the mid-Atlantic coast, especially near New Jersey and Delaware, according to the National Weather Service.
“This storm is expected to bring major coastal flooding to the mid-Atlantic coast over multiple high tide cycles through the weekend,” the weather service said Saturday. “Prepare immediately for significant flooding in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads under water and impacts on homes and businesses.”
READ: Nor’easter to hit East Coast with strong winds, flooding and heavy rain
In the coastal New Jersey district of Surf City, water, with waves rippling along its surface, flooded the streets, inundating some houses. About 34 miles (54.7 kilometers) up the coast in Manasquan County, where several roads were also flooded, Mayor Mike Mangan said he “expects a lot of water in the roads for a long time.” A voluntary evacuation was earlier issued in some low-lying areas of the community.
Concerts were canceled, along with dozens of flights to airports in Boston, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard on Friday and Saturday. Some airlines offer a change or cancellation fee for some East Coast flights through the weekend.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged people to use caution. She said coastal flooding is the biggest threat, but it will also bring heavy rain, powerful winds and waves as high as 20 feet (six meters).
“The rain is on its way and while it’s only been half an inch so far, mark my words: Much more is coming,” the governor said.
New Jersey communities are preparing for major flooding
Matty Guarino pulls Crew Guarino on a paddleboard in a flooded area after heavy rain fell from a nor’easter as a strong coastal storm battered the U.S. Northeast coast, in Surf City, New Jersey, September 26, 2026. Photo by Vincent Alban/Reuters
Brian Kelly, the mayor of the small New Jersey beach community of Sea Bright, said the district could brace for winds up to 50 mph (80 km/h) and flooding up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) on some roads. Officials expect flooding to begin Saturday and worsen by midday.
“It’s going to be worse than average. We probably have one or two flood events a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I think this will be closer to an Irene-scale flood event,” Kelly said, referencing the 2011 storm that caused major flooding in the Northeast. “I hope I’m wrong, but that’s my gut feeling.”
Kelly hopes hundreds of residents living in low-lying areas will evacuate. He said the city is opening its recreation center to evacuees.
Damaging winds threaten coastal New England
Peak wind gusts could reach 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 km/h) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, compared to about 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 km/h) around Boston and 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 km/h, with widespread precipitation in the neighboring country, with Matthew or in the neighboring country). Norton, Massachusetts.
“It’s definitely going to be a case of the closer to the coast you are, the more impacts you’re going to see from the storm,” Belk said.
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Belk said nor’easters are not uncommon as New England moves into fall, but a concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on the trees, creating more wind resistance. That could increase the risk of fallen limbs, which in turn could cause power outages and leave debris on roads, he said.
Along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, wind gusts could reach 60 mph (96.6 kph), according to the NWS. In southeastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York, gusts could reach nearly as high, potentially bringing down trees and power lines.
Storm disrupts concerts, baseball and flights
Air travel was also disrupted, with Boston particularly hard hit. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported 39 cancellations at Boston Logan International Airport between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday, compared with 22 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Another 12 flights were delayed at Logan.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox announced that their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs will be adjusted. The team moved the Sunday afternoon game to Friday to create a split doubleheader. Separately, Ed Sheeran announced that his high-profile Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, will be canceled due to the storm.
The public ferry service that connects Cape Cod to the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard experienced widespread cancellations Friday due to strong winds and choppy water.
In Rhode Island, ferries to Block Island were also canceled. The disrupted ferry service was expected to continue into Saturday.
Waves crash near the shore amid rain from a northeasterly storm as a strong coastal storm batters the U.S. Northeast coast, in Lynn, Massachusetts, on September 26, 2026. Photo by CJ Gunther/Reuters
For people who regularly travel to the islands, the opportunity to hang out on one side or the other is “a part of life,” said Sean Driscoll, a spokesman for the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Most people have backup plans in place for when boats are canceled.
“It’s a nuisance, but you know, we know what to do with this kind of stuff at this point,” he said. “This is not out of the realm of normal.”
Ashley Destino of Gloucester, a coastal town in northern Massachusetts, enjoyed a walk along the beach with her two young children before preparing to head home during the storm.
“We came to the beach on Friday afternoon because we knew we’d be inside all weekend,” said Destino, who prepared Legos and arts and crafts activities to entertain her two children, ages 7 and 4.
She also prepared by securing her boat with additional lines, and her husband pulled out a generator in case the power went out.
Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press writer Michael Casey in Boston; Rodrique Ngowi in Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.
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