Saturday, August 21, 2021

Henri upgraded to hurricane as it threatens US coast

Issued on: 21/08/2021 -
In this handout satellite image courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory taken at 11:45 am US Eastern Time (15:45 UT) on Friday, August 20, 2021, Henri is seen moving toward the northeast US Coast - NASA Earth Observatory/AFP/File

New York (AFP)

A swath of the US East Coast, including New York City, was under alert Saturday, as storm Henri was upgraded to what could be the first hurricane in 30 years to hit New England.

Forecasters warned of violent winds, the risk of flash floods and surging seas as the storm churned in the Atlantic, packing maximum sustained winds near 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour.

"Although some weakening is expected prior to landfall on Sunday, Henri is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the coasts of Long Island and southern New England," the US National Hurricane Center said in its latest bulletin.

Henri is expected to produce three to six inches of rain (7.5 to 15 centimeters) across the region, with isolated maximum totals near 10 inches, the NHC warned.

The heavy rainfall "may result in considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding," it added.

Officials in New England -- which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -- have warned people to get ready.

"All residents are advised to begin storm preparations today, and to pay close attention to local weather," the office of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said Friday.

His state, which will close parks and beaches from Saturday to Monday, was bracing for the high winds to knock out electricity for up to 300,000 locals, the governor's office said.

If Henri stays on its current course and maintains strength, it would be the first hurricane to directly hit New England in 30 years.

"The last hurricane to make landfall onto New England was Hurricane Bob in 1991," Dennis Feltgen, an NHC spokesman, told AFP. That storm killed at least 17 people.

It has been almost a decade since such severe weather was expected in part of the region.

"The last time we had hurricane watches issued for the area was for Hurricane Irene, back in late August of 2011," tweeted the National Weather Service in New York City.

New York beaches were ordered closed for swimming Sunday and Monday as officials warned of high winds and possible storm surges, as well as flash flooding on roads.

The last hurricane to make landfall in Long Island, home to the plush Hamptons villages where wealthy New Yorkers retreat to in summer, was Gloria in 1985.

The warnings have reignited memories of Hurricane Sandy, a more powerful storm that knocked out power for much of Manhattan and flooded subways in 2012.

© 2021 AFP

Update: Tropical Storm Henri is now a Category 1 hurricane, expected to make landfall on Long Island


By Karen Graham


Published 
August 21, 2021



Strengthening is forecast through tonight, and Henri is expected to become a hurricane later today and be at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall in Long Island or southern New England. Source - National Hurricane Center

Hurricane warnings and watches are up across the Northeast affecting millions of people for what is expected to be the first hurricane to directly strike Long Island or New England in several decades.

In an update from the NHC at 11:00 a.m., Henri is now a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.

At the 8:00 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Henri was swirling around 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving toward the north-northeast near 12 mph (19 kph).

Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 kph), with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected through tonight and Tropical Storm Henri is expected to become a hurricane later today and be at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall Sunday in Long Island or southern New England.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward from the center up to 115 miles (185 kilometers), and it is anticipated the storm will veer northward to north-northeastward on Saturday with a turn to the north-northwest overnight.

Hurricane Warnings are up for New Haven, Connecticut to the west of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, the South Shore of Long Island from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, and the North Shore of Long Island from Port Jefferson Harbor to Montauk Point.

The Hurricane Watch area includes Block Island and Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Westport, Massachusetts.


National Hurricane Center graphic

Long Island has not had a hurricane landfall since Gloria in 1985. The last time a hurricane made landfall in New England was Hurricane Bob in 1991. New York has not had a direct hit from a major hurricane season storm since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Storm surges will be a major concern. Surges between 3 and 5 feet are possible Sunday in areas including parts of Long Island to Chatham, Massachusetts, the hurricane center said. The surges will be accompanied by large, dangerous waves.

People living in areas under storm surge warnings “should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions,” the NHC says.

The storm is projected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches with isolated maximum totals of nearly 10 inches over parts of Long Island, New England, southeast New York, and northern New Jersey from Sunday into Monday.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and to delay weekend getaways to Cape Cod. The governor activated the Massachusetts National Guard on Friday in preparation for rescues, debris clearing, and other support.

“For those that have already traveled to the Cape or Islands for the weekend, they are advised to consider leaving on Saturday or extend their travel plans through early next week,” the governor’s office said in a news release.

Read more: https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/northeast-braces-for-tropical-storm-henri-expected-to-make-landfall-as-a-hurricane/article#ixzz74E8NkB2s


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