- The storm made landfall in Rhode Island.
- More than 115,000 power outages were reported.
- Heavy rain fell in New York and New Jersey.
More than 115,000 homes and business are without power after Tropical Storm Henri made landfall in Rhode Island Sunday afternoon, knocking trees and power lines and bringing heavy rainfall to some areas.
Locations in New York City, and Newark, Hoboken and Middlesex County, New Jersey, reported flooding as the tropical storm closes in. Some areas had received several inches of rain.
The National Weather Service had received reports Sunday of water rescues, flooded roads and basements as Henri continues to track toward landfall.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in some communities and several areas are under a state of emergency.
Dangerous storm surge, flooding, high winds and widespread power outages are possible in both coastal and inland areas.
(MORE: The Latest Forecast for Henri)
The Red Cross has opened multiple shelters across the Northeast. Local municipalities have also opened shelters. COVID-19 protocols are in place.
Hundreds of flights are delayed or canceled at major airports including LaGuardia, Kennedy, Boston Logan and Newark.
Public transit including railways and ferries was suspended in many areas across the region.
All or parts of New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island were under emergency declarations from their governors ahead of the storm and President Joe Biden approved pre-landfall emergency declarations from the White House. Local emergencies were also declared in several areas, including New York City.
Here’s a state-by-state look at the impacts.
Rhode Island
More than 79,000 power outages were being reported in Rhode Island as of about 1 p.m., according to poweroutage.us. Most of those were in coastal Washington County where the storm came ashore near the town of Westerly around 12:15 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
Wind gusts had reached 70 mph there ahead of the storm.
Parts of Westerly were under a voluntary evacuation that was effective at 9 a.m. Sunday.
State Emergency Management Director Marc Pappas reminded residents that inland communities could also be hit hard.
“So we all have to heed the warnings and prepare,” he said, according to the Providence Journal.
New York
More than 6 inches of rain fell in Brooklyn, and between 4 and 5 inches have come down in other areas around the city.
Lightning in the city led officials to postpone the “WE LOVE NYC: The Homecoming Concert” in Central Park Saturday night, which was televised by CNN. The event was to celebrate New York City’s progress in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 1.94 inches of rain that fell in Central Park from 10 to 11 p.m. Saturday night was the wettest hour on record for New York City.
New Jersey
Several water rescues were reported in Middlesex County, where more than 8 inches of rain fell in the town of Cranbury, according to the NWS. Cranbury is about 50 miles south of New York City. The rain fell as Henri was tracking northward toward landfall overnight and into early Sunday morning.
Roads were inundated with water in the neighboring city of Jamesburg.
Several roadways were closed and residents were asked to stay home.
Connecticut
The ground in much of region is already saturated from rain brought in recent days by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. That means trees might be more likely to fall over and take power lines with them.
“It’s coming down in buckets now and our ground is already saturated from last week,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont told The Weather Channel Saturday morning. “So that means flooding and that means trees being uprooted. Even if it’s just a gust they get uprooted with wet soil.”
More than 4,000 power crews are standing by, a measure that Mitch Gross, a spokesperson for utility crew Eversource, called “unprecedented.”
About 22,000 power outages were being reported as of 1 p.m., according to poweroutage.us.
Tractor trailers are banned from driving on Interstate 95 beginning at 11 a.m. today. Lamont said that’s to prevent accidents and keep the roadway clear for emergency crews.
(MORE: Track Henri)
An evacuation order was issued Saturday evening for some residents in the Connecticut coastal community of Guilford, about 12 miles west of New Haven.
A similar order was issued in the nearby town of Branford, where residents in the evacuation area were told to be out by 7 a.m. Sunday, and in the community of Madison.
The city of New Haven recommended that residents in some flood-prone areas evacuate to a safer location.
Several shelters were open.
Massachusetts
Storm barriers that protect from flooding were closed in several areas. Some of the barriers go across streets, while others are in waterways. The barrier in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was closed Sunday morning, sealing off the town’s harbor, which was packed with boats seeking a safe place to ride out the storm.
“Once it’s closed, it’s closed,” Justin Poulsen, director of the New Bedford Port Authority, told the New York Times. “You can’t underestimate this kind of storm.”
All state-run parks, campgrounds pools and waterfronts were closed.
Strong winds blow over trees as Tropical Storm Henri made landfall in Westerly, R.I., Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
