A nor’easter forecast to move north over the weekend could bring coastal flooding, heavy rain and hurricane-force gusts to the East Coast. Mid-Atlantic flooding may peak through Friday, while southeastern New England faces the storm’s brunt from Friday night through Saturday.
Forecasters expect water levels 2–3 feet above the average monthly tide, locally up to 6 feet above that level; the full moon is expected to contribute to high tides. The Weather Channel places the most significant flooding from southern New Jersey to the northern Outer Banks, while AccuWeather expects the worst in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Forecast rainfall ranges from 1–2 inches between northeastern New Jersey and coastal Maine to 4–8 inches from central Massachusetts to the coast.
Forecasters warn hurricane-force gusts could topple trees and bring down power lines. AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said soil left moist by last week’s rain and leaves still on trees could further raise the risk of falling trees and power outages. Porter said the storm may develop tropical-storm-like characteristics while slowly moving over the warm Gulf Stream for two or three days; such hybrid storms are called subtropical storms.
