By Amah Alphonsus Amaonye,
Director General, African Writers Centre, AWC.
Coastal flooding, destructive winds and power outages disrupt millions as storm sweeps from Washington to Maine
A powerful early-autumn nor’easter is battering the northeastern United States, bringing high winds, heavy rain, coastal flooding and widespread travel disruption from the Mid-Atlantic to New England.
The unusually strong storm has already forced the cancellation of more than 400 flights, while thousands more have been delayed. Boston Logan International Airport has been among the hardest hit, with hundreds of cancellations and delays reported as the storm intensified.
The storm is affecting communities from Washington, D.C., through New York and New Jersey to Massachusetts and Maine, with forecasters warning that dangerous conditions could persist through Monday.
COASTAL COMMUNITIES UNDER PRESSURE
The greatest concern is along the coastline, where powerful onshore winds are pushing seawater onto roads and into residential areas.
Reports from New Jersey and other coastal communities have described rapidly rising water, flooded roads and homes, while water rescues have been carried out in some areas.
The National Weather Service has warned of coastal flooding, rip currents, heavy rain and strong wind gusts, with some exposed locations experiencing gusts exceeding 60 mph. More than 20 million people were under coastal flood warnings from parts of Virginia through New Jersey, according to live storm reporting, while tens of thousands of customers were without electricity across the region.
AIR TRAVEL TAKES A MAJOR HIT
The storm has created significant disruption at major airports.
FlightAware data cited by Reuters showed about 425 flights cancelled and 1,338 delayed across the United States on Saturday, with the Northeast accounting for a substantial share of the disruption.
Boston Logan, New York-area airports and smaller airports serving coastal communities have all reported cancellations and delays.
Several major airlines, including American Airlines, JetBlue and United Airlines, introduced flexible travel arrangements for eligible passengers affected by the weather.
Rail and ferry services have also been affected, adding to the transportation difficulties.
STATES DECLARE EMERGENCIES
New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency in areas expected to experience the most severe conditions, while Connecticut activated its Emergency Operations Center.
Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from floodwaters and prepare for possible power outages and additional flooding as successive high tides move through the region.
The storm is expected to weaken gradually Sunday night and move northeast on Monday, but forecasters warn that coastal flooding and strong winds could continue during the period.
The latest storm is a reminder that extreme weather can disrupt not only communities and homes, but also the highly interconnected aviation, rail, road and energy networks on which millions depend.
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