Nor'easter Floods New York, New Jersey, Triggers State Emergencies

An early-season nor'easter drove torrential rain and wind gusts as high as 74 mph into the East Coast on Saturday, flooding streets across New York and New Jersey after both states declared states of emergency, according to ABC News.

Flood warnings covered millions of people from the southern Chesapeake Bay to southern Maine as the storm combined with high tide to push water into low-lying streets in New Jersey and New York, ABC News reported. A car was seen submerged in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, where officials issued a voluntary evacuation, and buoys off the Jersey Shore and southern New England recorded waves of 16 feet or more.

How strong were the winds and waves?

A weather station in Surf City, New Jersey, logged a wind gust of 74 mph late Friday night, with other stations along the Jersey Shore reporting gusts of 60 mph or higher, according to ABC News. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who had already declared a state of emergency, told reporters Saturday morning that wind gusts exceeding 50 and even 60 miles an hour had already been recorded on Long Island, and that waves as tall as 20 feet were expected in some areas. The winds toppled trees in New York City, including one branch that fell on a parked car in Brooklyn, ABC News reported.

Why is New York's governor warning about a full moon?

Hochul told reporters the storm's timing coincided with a full moon that could push tides even higher overnight. "With tonight's full moon, the tides may even be higher," Hochul said, according to ABC News. She said more rain was still moving through the region Saturday morning even as some areas began to see tidal waters recede from a moderate flood stage reached late Friday.

Where is coastal flooding worst?

Parts of the southern Chesapeake Bay to the Jersey Shore and into New Jersey's Raritan Bay reached moderate to major flood stage during Saturday morning's high tide, ABC News reported. Coastal flood alerts remained in effect from eastern Virginia through southern Maine, covering Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, New York City, New London, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston. Forecasters said moderate to major coastal flooding was possible again during Saturday evening's high tide from the southern Chesapeake Bay to the Jersey Shore and up to Raritan Bay, even as some earlier-flooded areas began to drain.

What is Hochul telling residents to do?

Hochul's central message to New Yorkers was to avoid the water entirely. "Here's the bottom line: Stay out of the water," she said, according to ABC News. "Although we just saw a surfer on one of the cameras off the coast of Long Island, stay out of the water. Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life." Despite the warning, ABC News reported that surfers were seen taking advantage of large waves along Rockaway Beach in New York City as the storm approached the region on Friday.

Are subways, trains and power affected?

Hochul said subways and trains had been operating as expected through Saturday morning despite the storm, according to ABC News. Storm doors had been installed at rail yards in Coney Island and Howard Beach to limit the chance of flooding disrupting service, she said. The governor separately warned that power outages were expected across the state as wind gusts continued and cautioned residents to prepare for potential losses of electricity.

Both New York and New Jersey remained under states of emergency as of Saturday morning, with the storm's rain, wind and tidal surge expected to persist through the day, according to ABC News. Officials in coastal communities from Virginia to Maine were monitoring the evening high tide for a possible repeat of the moderate to major flooding recorded earlier in the day.

What safety guidance are officials giving coastal residents?

ABC News reported that related safety guidance circulated alongside the storm coverage, including advice on floodwater risks and life-saving precautions for those in coastal communities. Massachusetts saw waves pounding the shoreline in Scituate as the tide rose Saturday, according to images captured by ABC News, underscoring that the flooding and wave activity extended well north of the New York and New Jersey emergency declarations into southern New England.

Officials across the alert zone continued to stress that the combination of storm surge, high tide and the Saturday night full moon created conditions that could push water levels beyond what communities saw during Friday's peak, ABC News reported. The National Weather Service alerts covering the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast remained active into the evening as forecasters watched for a second round of moderate to major coastal flooding at high tide.