Nor’easter becomes bomb cyclone: Fierce winds, flooding, snow and coastal havoc ensue
High winds to cause widespread power outages, travel disruptions and property damage.
Flooding rainfall in store for some locations, and coastal flooding will occur.
Rain to end as snow in many areas, with risk of a foot or more of heavy, wet snow in a narrow zone.
A bomb cyclone off the New Jersey coast will continue to bring damaging winds, flooding rain and heavy wet snow as coastal flooding ramps up to end this week.
The storm brought flooding, heavy snow to part of the Midwest and gusty thunderstorms to the Southeast states into Thursday night.
The full power of the storm will be felt in the Northeast. The pressure in the center of the storm has plummeted so fast that has become another bomb cyclone for the winter of 2018.
For this winter, this storm may be second only in intensity to the storm from early January in the same region. As the barometric pressure continues to plummet, the areal coverage of high winds will increase.
In terms of coastal flooding, impact may be more substantial from this storm, compared to the early January storm, in that this storm is moving much more slowly.
Major trouble anticipated from high winds
The most far-reaching effect of the storm will be high winds. Gusts of 50-70 mph will be common from the central and southern Appalachians to the lower Great Lakes and part of northern New England. However, gusts approaching hurricane force are likely along the coast from Delmarva to eastern Massachusetts. The strongest winds are likely to be along the coast of eastern Massachusetts and may reach hurricane force (74 mph).
Extensive power outages are likely spanning Friday to Saturday. Have a working flashlight on hand, and keep cell phones charged.
Winds as strong as predicted can knock down trees, cause damage property and make loose objects into projectiles. Walking, standing or driving through areas where there is a canopy of trees may be very dangerous during the storm.
Major airline delays and flight cancellations are likely due to the wind alone from Chicago and Detroit to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Wind-related delays are possible as far south as Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta.
