New York and New Jersey Declare Emergencies as Nor'easter Power Outages Top 70,000

Since the nor'easter first sent surf rolling through the streets of Surf City, New Jersey, on Friday, September 25, the storm has escalated enough that New York and New Jersey both declared states of emergency, and power outages across the Northeast climbed past 70,000 customers by Saturday morning, according to the Associated Press.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Friday for New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, according to Breitbart. "We're expecting dangerous coastal flooding, strong winds and potential power outages through the weekend," Hochul said in the declaration, urging residents to "stay alert, avoid unnecessary travel."

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for eight counties, according to the Epoch Times. "Keep yourself safe," Sherrill said in a video statement. "Check on your neighbors."

Outages Climbing Through Saturday

Outage figures moved fast as the storm intensified. The Associated Press, in reporting carried by PBS, News4Jax and myMotherLode, put the number at more than 70,000 customers without power by Saturday. Fox News reported roughly 67,000 customers out as of Saturday afternoon. An earlier snapshot carried by Coast TV had put the figure closer to 60,000. The spread reflects outages tracked at different hours of a fast-moving storm, not conflicting reporting.

The National Weather Service said Saturday that the storm is not expected to weaken until Sunday night, according to Breitbart's summary of the agency's forecast. NWS said the system will rapidly intensify off the Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday, approach the New Jersey coast Saturday night into Sunday, then track northeastward on Monday. Flooding New Jersey saw Friday and Saturday is not the storm's final act.

"This storm is expected to bring major coastal flooding to the Mid-Atlantic Coast over multiple high tide cycles through the weekend," the weather service said, according to the AP. "Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses."

A Marina Owner Watches His Boats Disappear

Kenny Formica, owner of Surf City Marina on the Jersey Shore, woke Saturday to messages from customers reporting missing boats and Jet Skis, including video of a 25-foot boat that had blown off its lift around 4 a.m., according to News4Jax.

"This is like an 8,000-pound boat and, you know, a $150,000 boat, just gone," Formica said. He told News4Jax the last time water got inside his marina building was during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which he said caused more than $4 million in damage to his business. Ahead of this storm, workers secured dock lines and moved the marina's trucks and forklifts to the highest ground available. By Saturday morning, even those were nearly surrounded by water.

Waves, Wind and What's Still to Come

Hochul said the storm would bring waves as high as 20 feet, according to the AP. AccuWeather meteorologist Lee Goldberg told the Epoch Times the storm could generate breaking waves of 12 feet or more, with 15 feet at the eastern end of Long Island. NWS forecasts cited by Breitbart put wind gusts at 45 to 65 mph for eastern Long Island and southeastern New England.

Sea Bright, New Jersey Mayor Brian Kelly, whose comments were carried across multiple outlets including NPR and PBS, said his borough is bracing for flooding that could reach 6 feet on some streets and compared the potential impact to Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. "I hope I'm wrong, but that's my gut feeling," Kelly said.

The Epoch Times report quoted Hochul describing "a very dangerous combination of heavy snow and extreme cold temperatures" in the context of this storm. No other source, including the National Weather Service forecasts cited in that same article, mentions snow or extreme cold with this system. The storm's defining hazards, per NWS, are heavy rain, coastal flooding and wind. That quote appears to describe a different weather event entirely.

With the storm not expected to weaken until Sunday night and its track still pushing toward the New Jersey coast, the multiple high-tide flooding cycles NWS warned about have not yet run their course. For coastal towns like Sea Bright and Surf City, the unresolved question is whether Saturday night's and Sunday's high tides bring the Irene-level flooding Kelly fears, or something short of it.