Nor'easter Set To Bring Heavy Rain, Dangerous Winds
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — A Nor'easter that's bearing down on the East Coast is expected to bring dangerous winds, coastal flooding and erosion to the Tri-State Area.
Heavy rain and intermittent snow are expected as the storm moves up the Eastern seaboard, beginning in New York and Connecticut on Thursday evening.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has activated the state's emergency management apparatus ahead of the Nor'easter that's expected to dump more than a foot of snow on parts of New York.
The governor announced Thursday that regional emergency operations centers from Long island to Buffalo will deploy resources during the storm.
As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, National Grid crews were securing gas lines throughout Long Island neighborhoods, while PSEG worked to protect power lines from expected gusty winds and heavy rains.
"Today, now that we have a feel for what we think the storm is going to look like, we're scheduling people, checking equipment, gaining additional resources," John O'Connell, with PSEG Long Island, said.
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Inside PSEG's Nassau County command center, engineers prepared for possible power interruptions with links to service contractors in the field to restore outages quickly.
"We're pretty well prepared at our house. We have a food stock, we have a generator if we need it. Just stay inside and hunker down if anything comes through," Floral homeowner John Miccio said.
The Coast Guard also warned mariners at sea. With a full moon, coastal erosion at high tide is a risk. So is flooding at Jones Beach, where bulldozers moved mounds of sand being used as a barrier.
"We want to make sure the entire beachfront is protected as best as we can," New York State Parks spokesperson George Gorman said.
"I'll worry about it when it happens. We're going to be home and we'll be prepared," said Sea Cliff homeowner Ginnie Johnson.
Emergency and medical crews are on standby, as county leaders urge resident to exercise caution.
"We are watching this very closely, we're ready to mobilize should we need to -- in terms of shelters or anything like that," Nassa County Executive Laura Curran said.
Heavy equipment is being tested and readied to clear catch basins ahead of possible street flooding and sewer storm surge.
"Take a look around their homes. If they've got anything in backyards, front yards that may potentially become airborne, they should bring it indoors or secure it," Hempstead Town Executive Assistant Joseph Davenport said.
"It's a Nor'easter, we've been through them before and we survived," one man said.
"The people who have waterfront property are concerned, as usual," a woman added.
In New Jersey, officials worried that the storm could take a chunk out of beaches just south of Atlantic City that are still being repaired because of damage from previous storms.
Across the East Coast, authorities told residents of coastal communities to be prepared to evacuate if necessary in advance of Friday morning's high tide. The National Weather Service said all of Rhode Island was under flood and high wind watches from Friday through Sunday morning.
Airlines were making their own preparations. Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, and American Airlines were allowing travelers to change their Friday and Saturday flights ahead of time to avoid delays and cancellations at key airports across the Northeast.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
