Severe September Nor’easter Hammers New York and New Jersey With Highest Storm Surge Since Sandy (Live Video)

A significant September nor’easter is hammering New York and New Jersey Saturday, with storm surge along parts of the coast forecast to reach levels among the highest since Hurricane Sandy, as the worst of the rain and wind peaks around 2 p.m.

AccuWeather expert meteorologists say New York City and Long Island will be hit hard by torrential rain and strong winds, while major coastal flooding and signific are concerns along the Jersey Shore as the storm lingers near the coast.

“This is a high-impact stretch for the New York City area, with heavy rain and strong winds coinciding with one another,” said AccuWeather expert meteorologist Alyssa Glenny. “In a densely populated area, it doesn’t take long for flooded roads, poor visibility and downed trees to create major travel problems. As the storm moves north, communities across New England will need to prepare for many of the same hazards.”

Due to the prolonged nature of the northeasterly winds, water levels from coastal flooding may be the highest they have been in some places since Sandy in 2012.

What AccuWeather Experts Are Tracking Saturday

• Coastal flooding and erosion: Strong northeast winds will continue pushing water toward the coast through Sunday. Storm surge of 1-3 feet is forecast, with locally higher coastal inundation during high tide and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 6 feet. High astronomical tides due to the full moon occurring on Saturday could worsen flooding during high tide cycles.
• Heavy rain: A widespread 1-2 inches is forecast through Monday night, with 2-4 inches from northern New Jersey into portions of southern New England. The heaviest totals of 4-8 inches are forecast across coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island into southeastern Massachusetts. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is 13 inches.
• Damaging winds: Gusts of 40-60 mph are forecast along and inland of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts through Sunday. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is 80 mph, with the strongest winds from the New Jersey coast through Cape Cod. Downed trees and power outages are possible.

Impacts Could Linger Into Monday

The nor’easter will linger near the New Jersey and Long Island coasts, prolonging rain, wind and coastal impacts through the weekend, The storm will lose wind intensity Sunday, but rain and repeated rounds of tidal flooding and beach erosion could continue before the system finally pulls away Monday night.

The storm has already caused coastal flooding and rough surf farther south, including flooded roads in Norfolk, Virginia, Bethany Beach, Delaware and along the Outer Banks.