Nor’easter floods New Jersey and New York, states of emergency declared

A powerful nor’easter swept along the north-eastern United States on Saturday, producing coastal flooding, strong winds, widespread power outages and travel disruption as New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency.

The US National Weather Service warned of “dangerous coastal flooding and beach conditions, strong winds and heavy rainfall,” and forecast rain and strong winds from Virginia to Maine, the BBC reported.

State and local officials said the storm drove coastal inundation in parts of New Jersey, with streets and homes reported flooded in Surf City and Manasquan. The BBC published images showing residents using kayaks to move through floodwater in some neighbourhoods.

More than 160,000 households lost electricity, nearly all in the north-eastern US, according to the outage tracker PowerOutage as reported by the BBC. Flight tracker FlightAware recorded more than 2,400 delayed flights and a further 1,199 grounded on Saturday, the BBC said.

Officials warned that a full moon would push higher tides and worsen coastal flooding. In New York City, authorities warned of wind gusts up to 55 mph, a forecast that city leaders said could lead to downed trees and power lines.

The BBC reported at least one death linked to the storm: a man was killed in Brooklyn when a tree fell. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered a video message urging residents not to travel unless necessary. “Do not drive or walk through floodwater,” the mayor said, the BBC reported.

Public events were hit by the weather. The Boston Red Sox moved the final game of their series against the Chicago Cubs to Sunday afternoon in Florida, the BBC reported. The Red Bull New York professional football match against St Louis City SC was cancelled. The Global Citizen Festival scheduled for New York City’s Central Park, which was to be headlined by Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and John Legend, was called off. The BBC said Ed Sheeran’s concert at Gillette Stadium in the Boston area was also cancelled for safety reasons.

The National Weather Service issued alerts urging people to prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses, the BBC reported.

Authorities advised residents in affected coastal communities to follow local emergency guidance and avoid flooded roads.