Edgewater Crews Evacuate 20 From Flooded Hotel as Nor'easter Cuts Power to 84,600
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 26
Edgewater Crews Evacuate 20 From Flooded Hotel as Nor'easter Cuts Power to 84,600
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 26
Summary
About 20 people were evacuated Saturday morning from a waterfront Comfort Inn in Edgewater, New Jersey, after coastal flooding swamped the first floor, with emergency workers returning for more guests.
The rescue came as a powerful nor'easter drove water more than 3 feet above normal high tide at parts of the Jersey Shore and New York Harbor, with another round of flooding possible at Saturday night's high tide.
Across five Northeast states, roughly 84,600 homes and businesses were without power by midday; gusts topped 60 mph on Long Island, Cape Cod and the islands, and more than 400 flights were canceled nationwide.
New York and New Jersey declared emergencies, and more than 20 million people from Virginia to New Jersey remained under coastal flood warnings as forecasters said the heaviest rain was still due overnight.
Officials warned the worst travel conditions would run through Sunday morning, with rain bands of up to 1 inch an hour, another 2 to 3 inches possible in some areas, and the storm weakening only gradually Sunday night.
With 15-foot waves and 74 mph winds battering the coast, what hidden long-term damage has this early-season nor'easter inflicted on East Coast infrastructure?
As floodwaters swallow streets and transit grinds to a halt, are coastal cities truly prepared for the rising threat of early-season superstorms?