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A powerful nor’easter is expected to strike Long Island and New York City this weekend, bringing a mix of heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding.
The National Weather Service warned Friday of damaging gusts, particularly Sunday into Sunday night, with the strongest winds expected across eastern Long Island and parts of the city.
Forecasters expect 1.5 to 3 inches of rainfall over a long-duration event, with the heaviest amounts along the coast. While the rain would address the region’s drought conditions, low-lying areas and locations with poor drainage may experience minor nuisance flooding, the weather service predicted.
Additionally, widespread minor to moderate coastal flooding is likely during high tides Sunday into Monday. Areas such as the South Shore’s back bays and parts of the Great South Bay, could see localized major flooding. Places like Lindenhurst could be significantly affected by the storm.
Beach erosion is also expected along exposed shorelines, forecasters said.
By definition, a nor’easter is a powerful storm along the East Coast that brings strong winds, heavy rain or snow, and coastal flooding.
“We’re looking at an approaching coastal storm that’s going to bring a couple different hazards to the island,” confirmed Dave Radell, science and operations officer at the National Weather Service.
With a high wind watch currently in effect, Radell said the storm will bring sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 60 mph closer to the South Shore and eastern Suffolk.
“The second hazard will be some rainfall, which actually might be more beneficial than not because it’s been rather dry,” Radell said.
Residents this weekend are encouraged to secure outdoor furniture, boats, and other loose objects, as well as avoid driving during periods of heavy rain and strong winds.
The storm should wind down Monday afternoon and be completely gone by Tuesday. Radell said there may be some residual light rain or coastal flooding early next week, but the majority of its impacts will be finished by Monday.
“As we head into the weekend, maintain your trust of weather information, whether that’s through our website Weather.Gov/NYC, or local media,” Radell said. “If you have things outside, you want to make sure those are secured and ready to be tied down by Sunday afternoon.”
If you see a downed powerline, PSEG Long Island said it should always be considered “live.” Stay as far away as possible from them and do not drive over or stand near them. To report a downed wire, call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number at 800.490.0075 or call 911.
“PSEG Long Island has been monitoring this storm, and we are prepared for potential impacts on the system this weekend,” said Michael Sullivan, vice president of Electric Operations at PSEG Long Island. “We have performed system and logistic checks, and have a full complement of personnel who will mobilize for restoration in foul weather conditions.
“Our crews will work to safely restore any outages as quickly as conditions will allow,” he added.
Residents can report an outage and receive updates by texting OUT to PSEGLI. Outages can also be reported at PSEGLINY.com/outages.
Brian Harmon contributed to this report.
Top image source: National Weather Service
