Severe Storm Threatens East Coast with Heavy Rain and Strong Winds
A powerful storm is building strength as it moves up the East Coast, threatening the region with the possibility of heavy rainfall and high winds that could cause power outages towards the end of the week. This storm will also have a significant impact on coastal areas of the East Coast early next week.
As it stands, the storm is set to affect several regions along the East Coast, from the Carolinas to New England, with precipitation ranging between 1 to 3 inches and wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph. Coastal regions are expected to bear the brunt of the storm with rainfall potentially exceeding 4 inches and wind gusts reaching 50 to 60 mph. These areas are also at risk for severe coastal flooding, significant beach erosion, and high surf.
Alerts for Coastal Flooding
Over 21 million people residing along the East Coast are currently under a coastal flood watch or warning, as moderate to major coastal flooding is predicted.
What to Expect: Southeast
The developing storm will lead to heavy rain and gusty winds in the Carolinas, where conditions are expected to worsen. While rain and showers will become more scattered on Sunday, periods of moderate to heavy rainfall are still expected.
The coastlines of North and South Carolina have already experienced between half an inch to an inch of rain within the past day. An additional 1 to 2 inches of rain on Sunday could heighten the risk for flash flooding, putting these areas at a marginal to slight risk for excessive rainfall through Sunday morning.
Moreover, thunderstorms moving ashore could result in heavy downpours and gusty winds, and there's even a chance for a tornado or two across eastern North Carolina and the Outer Bands.
Apart from the rainfall, high winds, particularly along and near the coast, are also a concern. Coastal areas have reported wind gusts between 25 and 35 mph. In addition to this, there have been several instances of coastal flooding along parts of the Florida and South Carolina coastline. This will remain a concern for much of the Carolinas at least through Sunday, where coastal flood alerts are still in effect.
What to Expect: Northeast
While there may be some clouds and passing showers, the bulk of the storm's impact won't be felt in the Northeast until later into Saturday and Sunday. As the storm system moves north and east, the intensity of the rain is expected to increase, making the region quite soggy from Sunday into Monday morning. Heavy rain is expected during this period.
The showers will become more scattered on Monday, but periods of heavy rain will still be possible. Conditions will then start to improve on Tuesday as the system moves away from the coast, although it will still bring more rain and showers to the New England coast.
Through this, average rainfall totals will range between 1 to 3 inches across much of the region, with areas closer to the coast possibly seeing higher amounts.
Winds will also intensify by Sunday as the storm moves north and east. Wind alerts are in effect from Virginia to Cape Cod through Sunday and into Monday, with gusts expected to reach between 40 to 50 mph. Along the immediate coastline, potential gusts could reach up to or over 60 mph, prompting high wind warnings. These strong winds could be enough to bring down trees and power lines, leading to widespread power outages.
Like in the Southeast, this storm system will bring strong and persistent onshore flow to the Northeast coast until Tuesday of next week. As a result, coastal flooding remains a significant concern, especially during high tide. As such, coastal flood alerts are in effect up the entire Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coastline through Monday.