Preparations for a monster storm forecast were intensified in parts of the US northeast on Saturday after Henry was promoted as a hurricane as it moved closer to land.
In New YorkAndrew Cuomo used his final hours as governor to guide the state’s response, declaring a state of emergency in some areas and telling residents: “If you have to go to higher ground, do it today. should be.”
Forecasters said Henry was expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it made landfall in New York and southern Long Island in the mid-afternoon on Sunday. Connecticut.
Forecasters said a dangerous storm could also make landfall in Rhode Island and southeastern parts late Saturday Massachusetts. High water can also be seen in coastal New England as Henry is inland. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said heavy rain and wind could also cause flooding.
Henry was moving a little further west than before. If that track held, her bullseye instead of New England would have eastern Long Island in New York, which has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane since Hurricane Bob in 1991, a Category Two hurricane that struck at least 17. . were killed.
New York has not been directly affected by a major hurricane season since Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012.
in one Press conferenceCuomo declared a partial state of emergency and asked people living in flood-hit areas to evacuate.
Cuomo will vacate his office on Monday after two weeks resigned It is alleged that he sexually assaulted 11 women. He denies the allegations against him.
Asked why he was leading hurricane preparations instead of incoming governor Cathy Hochul, Cuomo, formerly his lieutenant, said: “I’m the governor today and I’m in charge of the bar.”
PSEG Long Island, the main electricity provider for the area, Warning Depending on the severity of the storm, customers can experience power outages for up to 10 days.
On Fire Island, a narrow strip of sandy villages barely above sea level off Long Island’s southern coast, residents and visitors were urged to evacuate, after the last boats left at 10.40 p.m., officials said, some way. Not possible.
“If they don’t leave the island today, they’ll be stuck on the island and we don’t know what kind of conditions they’ll face. But they can be difficult. They can be dangerous,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Belone he said.
George Gorman, regional director of state parks on Long Island, said officials were building a wall of sand along the boardwalk at Jones Beach to protect against rising tides. The wall was being built with equipment purchased in the wake of Sandy, which caused considerable damage.
The campground was expected to close on Saturday afternoon and remain closed until Tuesday. In the famous playground Hampton on Long Island’s eastern end, officials warned of dangerous rip currents and the possibility of turning streets like the mansion-lined Dune Road on the Atlantic coast into virtual lagoons.
Ryan Murphy, the emergency management administrator for the City of Southampton, said: “We have to plan like this is going to be like a Category A hurricane that’s hitting us.”
With a top wind speed of 75mph, Henry moved to the north-northeast at 17mph by Saturday afternoon. It was still about 395 miles south of Montauk Point on Long Island.
NHC said thunderstorms between 3 feet and 5 feet are possible from Flushing, New York to Chatham, Massachusetts. 3 to 6 inches of rain expected. The National Weather Service warned of devastating winds and widespread coastal flooding. Officials urged people to keep boats, fuel vehicles safe and stock up on packaged goods.
Widespread effects were expected in Hartford, Connecticut and Albany, New York and further east to Cape Cod, which is also packed with tourists. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker urged people vacationing at the Cape to leave well before Henry hit, and those who had planned to begin vacationing there to delay their plans.
“We don’t want people stuck in traffic on Cape Cod bridges when the storm is in full force on Sunday,” he said.
Governor Ned Lamont warned Connecticut residents to be ready to “shelter out” from Sunday afternoon until at least Monday morning. Lamont declared a state of emergency and requested 200 National Guard members to be brought into the state in preparation for emergency aid.
“It’s going to be a team effort, it’s going to be a very dangerous storm,” said Rick Fontana of the New Haven Emergency Operations Center. “We would not have seen anything of this magnitude in all these years, maybe 30 or 40 years. It’s going to be difficult, it will take a lot of patience.”