Powerful nor’easter batters US East Coast with flooding, high winds

Remnants of a powerful nor’easter continued to batter parts of the US East Coast early Monday after bringing torrential rain, strong winds, dangerous waves and widespread flooding over the weekend.

Coastal areas of New York and New Jersey were particularly hard hit, with residents seen paddling kayaks and canoes through flooded neighbourhoods past partially or almost fully submerged vehicles. Flood warnings remained in effect around the New York metropolitan area into Monday afternoon, while a flood watch covered eastern Massachusetts through Tuesday morning, as per a CBS News report.

At least one person died in Brooklyn after 56-year-old New York City Housing Department employee Leighton Brown was struck by a falling tree. A swimmer initially feared missing on Saturday was later found “alive and well,” police said, after he contacted authorities himself.

About 21,000 homes and businesses in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts remained without power early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. Governors Kathy Hochul and Mikie Sherrill declared states of emergency in parts of New York and New Jersey.

The National Weather Service warned that additional rain through Monday night could trigger further flooding, while gusts of up to 50 mph were possible from New Jersey to Long Island. Rough surf and rip currents also threatened coastal areas as far south as the Carolinas.

The storm disrupted major events. The New York Yankees cancelled their final regular-season game against the Baltimore Orioles, while strong winds at MetLife Stadium sent portable toilets sliding across the parking lot during the New York Giants-Tennessee Titans game.

The weather service warned that more power outages and fallen trees were possible, with urban areas, roads and waterways particularly vulnerable to flash flooding.

Wind gusts reached nearly 74 mph in Surf City, New Jersey, and 81 mph at Montauk Point, New York, according to the weather service, approaching hurricane-force levels.

In Nantucket, waves exposed part of a suspected 19th-century shipwreck near Miacomet Beach, while sea foam surrounded beachfront homes in Marshfield, Massachusetts.

By Tamilla Hasanova