Watch nor’easter stir up destructive Outer Banks surf
Watch a Nor’easter batter North Carolina’s Outer Banks, sending huge waves ashore and damaging NC-12 near Rodanthe.
If you thought this would be a good weekend for leaf-peeping in New England, think again.
A potent nor’easter is already blasting portions of the East Coast with wind, rain, and high surf on Sept. 24, and is expected to wallop New England with more of the same by the weekend.
“A strengthening September nor’easter will worsen coastal flooding from North Carolina to New York through Friday [Sept. 25], then threaten New England with damaging winds, power outages and heavy rain this weekend,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast.
Storm already lashing East Coast
As of midday Sept. 24, the nor’easter is strengthening and is heading north up the coast, National Weather Service forecasters said. It’s already stirred up destructive surf and waves on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
“Widespread gusts of 30-40 mph are ongoing as of Thursday morning [Sept. 24], with a peak gusts over 40 mph reported along the coast of North Carolina,” Weather.com said in an online forecast.
The state’s Department of Transportation closed a section of the coastal highway (NC12) on Sept. 23 after the surf breached through a dune at the Pea Island Visitor Center, causing “major ocean overwash,” damaging the roadway on Pea Island. Crews are working to assess the damage, the department posted on X.
The damage was expected to continue over several tide cycles. The event coincides with higher than normal high tides related to the full moon on Sept. 26.
Coastal flooding and high surf
The combination of persistent, strong onshore winds, high surf, and high astronomical tides will result in moderate to major coastal flooding impacts, especially at high tide, through this weekend, NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) said.
High surf is expected on many beaches, which will generate strong rip currents, beach erosion and likely property damage, the WPC said.
“This storm may be remembered for its destructive coastal flooding and severe beach erosion, especially along eastern Long Island and the Massachusetts coast,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said.
Strong wind gusts and heavy rain along the coast
The storm will bring wind gusts in excess of 45 mph and the potential for scattered power outages for the mid-Atlantic coast into Friday Sept. 25 before the wind and heavy rain threat shifts to New England for this weekend, according to the prediction center. Heavy rain may lead to inland flooding in southern New England Friday Sept. 25 to Sunday Sept. 27.
Damaging winds will pose the greatest threat across southeastern New England, with gusts potentially reaching hurricane force and causing tree damage and power outages, AccuWeather said.
“Many trees still have their leaves, which catch more wind and place additional strain on their roots, further increasing the risk for trees to come down and may also increase the number of power outages as compared to similar storms,” Porter said.
Preparations, cancellations underway
In Rhode Island, the state’s main utility company (Rhode Island Energy) says it has extra crews ready to respond to power outages due to the nor’easter, the Providence Journal reports.
On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, gusty winds from the storm could hit the region beginning Thursday Sept. 24, disrupting ferry service surrounding Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and trips between Boston and Provincetown, according to the Cape Cod Times.
In Boston, Red Sox home baseball games have been adjusted earlier because of the storm. “The plan as of right now is for the Red Sox and Cubs to play a doubleheader on Friday {Sept. 25] with start times of 1:05 p.m. and 6:05 pm in an effort to get as much baseball in as possible before the onset of this weekend’s nor’easter,” according to the Red Sox fan site “Over the Monster.”
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.