Rare storm hits northeastern United States

A rare storm for the season intensified on Saturday evening, September 26, over the northeast of the United States, showered by torrential rains and swept by powerful winds which cut electricity to tens of thousands of users and left one dead, according to American media. The major cities of New York, Boston and Philadelphia are under threat from the "Nor'easter", with risks of significant flooding and road closures. This phenomenon generally strikes between fall and early spring.

The storm is expected to move toward New Jersey and Long Island “tonight (Saturday to Sunday),” and hit the region with “full force” Sunday morning, according to forecasters. “Major coastal flooding is expected along the Mid-Atlantic coast during several high tide cycles following a full moon this weekend,” the National Weather Service said.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said the storm was moving toward coastal areas of New York City and Long Island in the evening. “The conditions are extremely dangerous. Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend would literally put their life on the line,” she warned during a press briefing. “We expect waves up to six meters high in some areas.”

“Don’t travel if you don’t have to,” insisted New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In the Brooklyn neighborhood, a 56-year-old man was killed by a falling tree, according to American media. And more than 60,000 users in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were without electricity at 6 p.m. local Saturday, according to the specialized site poweroutage.com.

The storm also caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Saturday, including 253 at Boston's Logan Airport alone, according to the Flight Aware website. Major cultural events have also been canceled, including the Global Citizen and All Things Go festivals in New York, and Oceans Calling in Maryland.