US Northeast battered by nor’easter as tidal surges flood homes, streets

Coastal communities in the Northeast endured another day of flooding as a powerful nor'easter battered the shoreline on Sunday, leaving tens of thousands without power and causing widespread damage. High tides repeatedly inundated low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey, with some areas experiencing water levels not seen in nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, strong winds in New York's Long Island toppled trees and damaged homes. The storm, which claimed a life in New York City on Saturday, was expected to persist through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds, and hazardous surf extending as far north as New England.

The National Weather Service predicted the storm's weakening by Sunday night, with potential for further flooding from high tides on Monday. Residents in both New Jersey and New York warned that another round of flooding could occur later that day. Officials in Nassau County, New York, cautioned that the storm's impacts were reminiscent of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, though not nearly as severe.

Over 100,000 customers across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic lost power at various times on Sunday, with the most extensive outages reported along the coastline from New Jersey to Connecticut. Numerous flights were cancelled or delayed, with more than 250 flights grounded at Boston Logan International Airport due to gusts of up to 40 mph. While flooding remained the primary concern, the storm also raised concerns over coastal erosion.

In Sea Bright, New Jersey, residents reported record-high flooding, with water levels reaching up to a foot deep in some areas. Carole Ann Palmer, owner of a local bait shop, described this as the worst flooding she had seen in a decade, noting that she had to use waders to take her puppies outside. In Sea Bright, Bernard Dowd recounted how his basement had filled with tidal water, but he credited new homeowner regulations requiring elevation following Sandy for mitigating the disaster.