Deadly Storm Leaves Trail of Destruction: 2 Lives Lost as it Speeds from Southeast to New England

Over the holidays, hundreds of thousands of power outages, flood alerts from Virginia to Maine, and airport flight delays and cancellations have occurred.

Downed trees (Photo: NPR)

Two deaths, massive power outages, and travel issues

Strong East Coast storms killed two and caused severe damage. Millions were warned of flooding, 775,000 lost power, and the storm made holiday flying harder. In Maine and Massachusetts, trees killed Windham and Hanover residents. A lady and her infant were slightly hurt when a branch hit their car in Cohasset, Massachusetts. After the storm ends Tuesday, New England may see flash flooding and extreme rain.

This weekend, an East Coast hurricane delivered heavy rain and strong winds to Florida and the Carolinas. Gainesville received 7 inches of rain, and Charleston received its first daily rain. South Carolina had a record non-tropical storm surge. December air pressure along the Southeast coast dropped to its lowest ever when the Atlantic subtropical humidity-fueled low-pressure cyclone swept from Florida to Maine in 36 hours. Due to the heated Atlantic Ocean surface.

Record rainfall in coastal South Carolina exceeded a foot. The low-pressure system’s warm, humid air caused record floods and rains. On Monday, the same storms cut power to 775,000 East Coast homes and businesses from Virginia to Maine. Due to flooding, power outages, and strong winds, NYC issued a travel advisory. Avoid Manhattan and Bronx basements and lowlands due to flash flooding.

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Power outages, downed trees, and other widespread issues

During the storm, 388 trees fell and nearly 10,000 New Yorkers lost electricity. Con Edison gave most individuals power by late afternoon. Connecticut saw water rescues, flooded roadways, and damage to Boston’s MCAD skyscraper. Amtrak stopped while New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont residents evacuated due to flooding. Over 4,000 planes were delayed or canceled, affecting holiday travel. 14 million people were warned of the 68-mph Boston wind.

Over 2 inches of rain fell in all East Coast states. The system entering Canada should reduce heavy rain fears. Lake effect and upslope snow were forecast in northern and central Appalachians. West Coast storms poured snow and rain on the Sierra Nevada.

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