A powerful, deadly storm that lasted several days slammed the U.S. East Coast with heavy rain, coastal flooding and gusty winds through Tuesday morning.
The big picture: The nor’easter that hit the Carolinas over the weekend continued to batter communities across the Northeast and New England, with flooded streets in New Jersey, New York City and the surrounding region, which were under a state of emergency from Sunday through Monday evening.
- The severe weather caused thousands of flight delays and hundreds of cancellations at airports across the Northeast, including the New York area’s LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Massachusetts’ Boston Logan International Airport among those affected.
Zoom: At least one death was reported in New York, where authorities said a 76-year-old Brooklyn woman was killed by a solar panel during Sunday’s storm, when winds peaked at about 42 mph.
- In Dartmouth, Massachusetts, a small plane crashed into the central reservation of Interstate 195 on Monday, killing two people and injuring another, although it was not immediately clear whether the crash was storm-related.
- The accident caused travel delays in the area.
Meanwhile, one person has been confirmed dead after the remnants of Typhoon Halong hit western Alaska with torrential rain and hurricane-force winds over the weekend, causing many injuries.
- Alaska State Troopers said Monday the woman was found dead in Kwigillngok after search and rescue teams went to the community as well as Kipnuk and rescued a total of 51 people and two dogs.
State of play: “Coastal flooding continues across parts of the East Coast, as a low pressure system in the western Atlantic brings persistent and strong onshore winds to coastal areas,” according to a Monday forecast discussion from the National Weather Service.
- “This, combined with astronomically high tides, could lead to further beach erosion,” he added.
- “Rip currents and high surf also continue, along with scattered to widespread showers across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. High winds are already easing as the low begins to move away, with only wind advisories for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.”
- Coastal flood warnings continued through Monday evening, but the NWS noted that many of them would expire as the potential for dangerous conditions diminished.
Between the lines: “Extreme precipitation events have increased in frequency and intensity in the United States and many parts of the world since the 1950s,” according to an environmental nonprofit, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
In photos: Nor’easter hits the East Coast
Go further: Why flash floods like those in Texas and New York are becoming more common
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
