Roads flood in New Jersey, inundate some homes, as major signs of nor'easter take shape

Over 70,000 customers were without electricity in the region as of Saturday The storm has caused dozens of flight cancellations at airports in Boston and Massachusetts islands NEW JERSEY: More than 70,000 customers were without electricity in the US Northeast on Saturday, the effect of a powerful nor'easter expected to create dangerous conditions through the weekend. Forecasters warned of gale winds that could down trees and heavy rain that could put roads underwater. Tens of millions of people are in the path of the storm, which was already beginning to lash the region. Dangerous flooding is expected along the Mid-Atlantic coast, particularly near New Jersey and Delaware, according to the National Weather Service. 'This storm is expected to bring major coastal flooding to the Mid-Atlantic Coast over multiple high tide cycles through the weekend,' the weather service said Saturday. 'Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses.' In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, water — with waves rippling along its surface — flooded the streets, inundating some homes. Kenny Formica, owner of Surf City Marina on the Jersey Shore, was trying to keep busy Saturday as he sat at home watching water rise inside his marina through surveillance cameras. Water getting inside the building is rare, Formica said. The last time he remembers it happening was during Hurricane Sandy, which he said caused more than $4 million in damage to his business. Ahead of the storm, Formica said workers secured dock lines, moved loose items and equipment out of harm's way and parked the marina's trucks and forklifts at the highest point of the property. By Saturday morning, even those were nearly surrounded by water. Formica said he woke Saturday to messages from customers reporting missing boats and Jet Skis. One customer sent him a video around 4 a.m. showing his 25-foot (7.6-meter) boat after it had blown off its lift. 'This is like an 8,000-pound boat and, you know, a $150,000 boat — just gone,' Formica said. Cancellations are widespread in the Northeast Concerts were canceled, along with dozens of flights going into airports in Boston, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard on Friday and Saturday. Several airlines were offering to waive some change or cancelation fees for some East Coast flights through the weekend. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged people to use caution. She said coastal flooding is the biggest threat, but it will also bring heavy rains, powerful winds and waves as high as 20 feet (six meters). 'The rain is underway and while it's only half an inch or so thus far, mark my words: Much more is coming,' the governor said. New Jersey communities prepare for major flooding Brian Kelly, the mayor of the tiny New Jersey beach community Sea Bright, said the borough is bracing for winds up to 50 mph (80 kph) and flooding that could reach up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) on some streets. Officials expect the flooding to start Saturday and worsen by midday. 'It's going to be worse than average. We do have probably one or two flooding events a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I think this one will be closer to an Irene-scale flooding event,' Kelly said, referencing the 2011 storm that caused major flooding in the Northeast. 'I hope I'm wrong, but that's my gut feeling.' Kelly hopes hundreds of residents living in low-lying areas will consider evacuating. He said the town will open its recreation center for evacuees. Damaging winds threaten coastal New England Peak wind gusts could approach 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, compared with about 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 kph) around Boston and 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 kph) farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with NWS in Norton, Massachusetts. 'It's definitely going to be a case of the closer to the coast you are, the more impacts from the storm you're likely to see,' Belk said. Belk said nor'easters are not unusual as New England moves into fall, but one concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on the trees, creating more wind resistance. That could increase the risk of downed limbs, which in turn can cause power outages and leave debris in roads, he said. Along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, wind gusts could reach 60 mph (96.6 kph), according to NWS. In southeastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York, gusts could get almost as high, potentially downing tree limbs and power lines. Storm disrupts concerts, baseball and flights Air travel was also being disrupted, with Boston particularly hard hit. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported 39 cancelations at Boston Logan International Airport between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday, compared with 22 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Another 12 flights were delayed at Logan. Meanwhile, the Red Sox announced their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs would be adjusted. The team moved the Sunday afternoon game to Friday to create a split doubleheader. Separately, Ed Sheeran announced that his high-profile Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, would be canceled due to the storm. The public ferry service connecting Cape Cod with the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard was experiencing widespread cancelations due to strong winds and choppy water. In Rhode Island, ferries were also canceled for Block Island. The disrupted ferry service was expected to also spill into Saturday. For people who regularly travel to and from the islands, the possibility of getting stuck on one side or the other is 'part of life,' said Sean Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Most people have backup plans in place for when boats are canceled. 'It's a nuisance, but you know, we know what to do with this kind of stuff at this point,' he said. 'This is not out of the realm of ordinary.'