Nor'easter Causes Flooding and Power Outages in Northeast

BOSTON (AP) — Residents of coastal communities in the Northeast experienced flooding for a second day as a powerful nor'easter impacted the shoreline on Sunday, resulting in power outages for tens of thousands of homes. Tidal surges affected low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey, while wind gusts caused trees to fall on New York's Long Island, damaging homes and utility poles. In Sea Bright, New Jersey, residents faced repeated flooding with each high tide. Caroline Virenius reported that her garage filled with about a foot of water, stating, "It's getting wet again and again." The slow-moving storm caused the death of a New York City housing authority worker when a tree fell on Saturday and was expected to continue bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous surf through Sunday into New England. The storm has triggered comparisons to Superstorm Sandy, which caused over $60 billion in damage in 2012. Although this storm's impact has not reached that level, it may be the first of several storms along the East Coast this fall due to an El Niño climate pattern affecting weather. The National Weather Service reported that some areas of Long Island received more than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain since the storm began. At times, over 100,000 customers were without power across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, with the most significant outages reported in coastal counties from New Jersey to Connecticut. Numerous flights were canceled or delayed, with over 250 cancellations reported at Boston Logan International Airport as wind gusts reached 40 mph (64 kph). The heaviest rainfall was anticipated on Sunday from northern New Jersey to southern New England. Although the storm was gradually weakening, tidal flooding was expected to continue through high-tide cycles on Sunday night, according to Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service. In New York City, water a few inches deep filled streets in the Howard Beach neighborhood, but residents still ventured out for coffee. Carole Ann Palmer, who owns a bait and tackle shop in North Beach Haven, New Jersey, described this flooding as the worst she has seen in 10 years, noting that neighbors were kayaking through the streets. Bernard Dowd, who waded through tidal water to reach his home in Sea Bright, mentioned that new regulations requiring homeowners to raise their homes after Sandy likely mitigated the flooding's impact. He observed that many in the community had lined their homes and businesses with sandbags, which he wished he had done. Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. AP journalists Mikella Schuettler in Phoenix and Julie Walker in New York contributed.