Northeast braced for heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding through Sunday

Mike Doll, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said a nor'easter will batter the East Coast through Sunday night, delivering 4-8 inches of rain to Long Island and the Jersey Shore and 2-4 inches to New York City. Wind gusts are forecast to reach 60-80 mph, intensifying coastal hazards as strong northeast winds coincide with high astronomical tides early next week. Some locations could see their highest water levels in several years, already causing notable beach erosion.

Because the ground is already saturated and trees are laden with leaves, the storm may topple trees and snap power lines, potentially leaving communities without electricity into early next week. Governor Kathy Hochul cautioned residents that up to 5 inches of rain could fall across the region over the weekend. Conditions are expected to ease on Monday.