Nor'easter
set to hit New York on Wednesday
The
storm developing off the Carolinas is no Hurricane Sandy, but it
could have winds that hit 60 mph and plenty of rain – and raise
water levels two-and-a-half to four feet, say meteorologists.
5
November, 2012, 1.20 pm EST
Another
nasty bit of weather is headed New York’s way.
A
“significant” nor'easter is developing off the coast of the
Carolinas and on track to hit the New York area beginning at around
dawn on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
The
storm will not be as severe as Superstorm Sandy, but was packing rain
and sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph and wind gusts of up to 60 mph,
meteorologist Joe Picca said.
“We’re
not expecting things to be on the level of Sandy,” Picca said. “But
it could lead to more power outages and slowdown of a recovery.”
Around
the city, water levels were expected to rise between two-and-a-half
to four feet, and some areas, particularly those along the Rockaways,
western Long Island Sound and the South Shore bays, could see some
flooding, Picca said.
In
a small bit of luck for weather-weary New Yorkers, the storm is
arriving during lower-than usual tides, which diminishes the chances
of severe flooding.
Sandy
hit during a full moon, which meant the tides were higher – one of
the many factors that made it a monster.
“The
hope is in New York Harbor the surge in the harbor is going to be
much lower,” Picca said. “But even with minor coastal flooding,
it could still impact Staten Island, with the heightened sensitivity
they have there.”
Wind
gusts were expected to begin around sunrise on Wednesday, with the
storm growing in intensity through the day and into Thursday.
New
York could see more than two inches of rain, while parts of
Connecticut and the Lower Hudson Valley should brace for snow, the
weather service said.
Things
were expected to clear up by Thursday evening.
Any
damage caused by the storm would add insult to injury to the
thousands in New York and New Jersey that were still picking through
the wreckage of their ravaged homes.
Around
140,000 houses around the city were still without power on Sunday,
and city officials were worried that a cold snap this week could
prove fatal for some of the estimated 40,000 people left homeless by
the superstorm.
“We’re
trying to (add shelters) every place we can,” Mayor Bloomberg said
on Sunday. “We’re looking for places. We don’t have a lot of
empty housing in this city, so it’s really a problem.”
The
National Weather Service urged New Yorkers not to panic over the
latest bout of bad weather.
The
best think you can do is prepare for high winds and rain and reach
out to any neighbors who were still in the dark.
“If
someone is without power and hasn’t been able to monitor the
forecast, let them know that we could see some strong winds and rain
again,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.