Severe storms sweeping through the Northeast have left many individuals without electricity.
During the weekend, a powerful weather system brought heavy rain and strong winds to the tri-state area, while a fast-moving storm deposited snow in northern New England, resulting in approximately 360,000 households experiencing power outages in the Northeast.
As of early Sunday morning, PowerOutage.us, a website dedicated to tracking power outages, reported that over 200,000 individuals in Maine, more than 75,000 customers in New Hampshire, and upwards of 89,000 customers in New York State were affected by the power loss.
On Sunday morning, extensive footage depicted the Northeastern region cloaked in snow, accompanied by fallen trees in New York City and inundated roads and highways throughout the area.
The New York City metropolitan area, extending through central and southern New Jersey, experienced a deluge of rainfall ranging between 2 to 3 inches on Saturday. Despite the storm dissipating by Sunday morning, the National Weather Service cautioned residents about lingering wind chills ranging from the teens to the twenties.
A wide expanse of the Northeast encountered significant snowfall. As of Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET, Landgrove, Vermont, recorded a staggering 24.5 inches of snow, with Corinth, New York, and Claremont, New Hampshire, both receiving 20.5 inches, and Sweden, Maine, accumulating 13.5 inches, as reported by the National Weather Service.
By 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Philadelphia registered a rainfall of 3.06 inches, marking it as the wettest March on record since the state commenced record-keeping in 1872.
In New York City, the National Weather Service reported that the heavy rain and snow had subsided overnight. However, certain areas of New Jersey continued to be under flood advisories as of Sunday morning, particularly along the coastline.
On Sunday morning, specific regions, such as Somerset, Cumberland, and Ocean Counties in New Jersey, still faced a flood warning, indicating a more severe alert signaling the imminent risk of flooding.
Robert Buxton, the director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety in the event of a power outage. Speaking on Saturday night, he advised individuals to take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.
Buxton urged residents to remain vigilant and to avoid approaching any downed power lines, emphasizing the importance of contacting emergency services by dialing 911 if such hazards are encountered. He recommended staying informed through phone alerts or radio broadcasts, opting for flashlights over candles for emergency lighting, and refraining from using gas stoves or ovens for heating purposes.
Adverse weather conditions led to significant flight delays at airports across New York City. John F. Kennedy International Airport reported an average delay of three hours for arrivals as of 5 p.m. EDT, according to information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration. LaGuardia Airport was also affected, experiencing disruptions to both arrival and departure flights.
Meanwhile, a swiftly-moving storm brought snowfall to parts of northern New England, prompting winter alerts for over 30 million residents spanning from the northern Rockies and Upper Midwest through the central Great Lakes into New England.
Forecasters predicted light to moderate snowfall across the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes region, with expected accumulations ranging from 2 to 7 inches.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency issued warnings about the storm potentially bringing the largest snowfall of the season and urged motorists to exercise caution while traveling.
In Orange and San Diego counties, rainfall amounts were predominantly small fractions of an inch as the main portion of the storm cleared the area by Saturday evening.
According to the National Weather Service’s forecast discussion, the same weather front was advancing eastward and expected to generate “heavy snow, strong winds, and potential blizzard conditions” across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest until Tuesday morning.
The weather service also warned of the possibility of scattered severe thunderstorms from Kansas to Texas on Sunday as the storm system progresses through the region.