Developing nor'easter triggers high wind alerts, flood watches for millions along the East Coast
A brewing nor'easter is expected to slam the Atlantic Seaboard over multiple days with heavy rains, 'major' coastal flooding and potentially damaging wind gusts.
Nor'easter set to pummel Atlantic Seaboard from Carolinas to New England through the weekend
High wind and coastal flood alerts are in effect for millions up and down the Atlantic Coast as a nor'easter takes shape Friday and crawls north just offshore the next several days.
NEW YORK – A brewing nor'easter is expected to slam the Atlantic Seaboard over multiple days with heavy rains, 'major' coastal flooding and potentially damaging wind gusts.
Over its multiple-day journey up the coast, the storm is set to thrash the coastal Carolinas Saturday, then spread its impacts into the Northeast on Sunday. Forecasters in New Jersey are warning of possible major coastal flooding over the latter half of the weekend in the southern half of the state, with even the potential need for some evacuations.
Meanwhile, the wind threat has already triggered High Wind Watches across parts of the nation's most populous corridor, with forecasters saying gusts up to 60 mph could impact close to 10 million Americans along the New Jersey Coast on Sunday and in New York's Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island by Sunday night. It'll then be New England's turn to weather the storm early next week.
Nor'easter begins to generate on Friday
The nor'easter is expected to develop from a powerful area of low pressure off of the Southeast coast. The storm is starting to take shape there on Friday. While development will be slow at first, the storm will pick up energy through the day and into early Saturday.
During these initial stages, coastal flooding will still be a concern across coastal Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas as onshore flow pushes ocean water inland along a stalled front. Coastal Flood Watches remain in place for those areas.
Carolinas feel Nor'easter's impacts starting Saturday
Into the morning on Saturday, our Nor'easter will begin to take shape, impacting portions of the Carolinas and the Outer Banks.
Heavy rain will begin impacting the coastlines in the morning through late evening with widespread totals of 2-3 inches, with locally higher amounts across the Outer Banks of 3-5 inches or more, according to the FOX Forecast Center. A Level 2/4 flash flood risk is in place from Wilmington, North Carolina, through Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday.
Meanwhile, winds will increase into the afternoon with gusts around 40–50 mph along the coastline. With persistent onshore winds, coastal flooding and high surf will remain a concern for already vulnerable coastlines. Coastal Flood Watches are in place across North Carolina.
High winds, coastal flooding slam mid-Atlantic on Sunday
By Sunday morning, the center of our Nor'easter will be somewhere close to coastal Virginia. Rain will begin to move into Maryland through southern Long Island by early morning, the FOX Forecast Center said. Downpours will continue through the afternoon as winds also increase.
High Wind Watches are in place from Long Island through coastal New Jersey and Delaware. This calls for wind gusts upwards of 60 mph and sustained winds around 25-35 mph along the coast. Already, New York has suspended Fire Island ferry service for Sunday and Monday.
But as winds remain out of the northeast and wave heights build, coastal flooding will also be a concern from Virginia through New England.
While over 25 million are under Coastal Flood Alerts along a 400-mile stretch from Atlantic City, New Jersey, through Boston and remain in effect through Monday, concern is growing for major impacts along the New Jersey and Delaware coast.
"Moderate to Major coastal flood impacts are increasingly likely," National Weather Service forecasters in Mount Holly, New Jersey wrote Friday morning. "Widespread roadway flooding and impassable roads, inundation of structures, and evacuations are possible Sunday-Monday. Significant beach erosion and dune breaching is possible due to very high surf. Now is the time to prepare your property for the threat of coastal flooding."
Heavy rain will also increase the risk of flash flooding. A widespread 3-5 inches of rain is possible along the coast through Tuesday.
A large Level 2/4 flash flood risk is present from Norfolk, Virginia, through Philadelphia, New York City, and southern New England for Sunday.
Rain slowly dissipates Monday, but soggy conditions remain
Into Monday morning, heavy rain and gusty winds will slowly begin to dissipate as the system moves onshore over New Jersey and Pennsylvania and weakens. But soggy conditions and breezy winds will likely last through the afternoon, along with coastal flooding concerns as winds remain onshore for another day, The FOX Forecast Center said.