State of emergency declared for New York City, New Jersey amid blizzard warning
All of New Jersey under blizzard warning for 1st time in 30 years, with 90% likelihood of entire state receiving 30 centimeters or more of snow
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the city expecting 45 to 55 centimeters of snow with gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour and possible coastal flooding of up to 75 centimeters at high tide
ISTANBUL
A powerful winter storm is battering the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern US, bringing heavy snow, blizzard conditions, high winds, and coastal flooding, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on Sunday.
Snowfall rates of five to seven centimeters per hour are expected at times, with totals of 30 to 60 centimeters in some areas, resulting in "nearly impossible travel conditions."
The NWS issued a blizzard warning for New York from 1.00 pm Sunday through 6.00 pm Monday, cautioning that the heaviest snow would coincide with the strongest winds Sunday evening into early Monday, with visibility dropping below 400 meters.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city is expecting 45 to 55 centimeters of snow with gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour and possible coastal flooding of up to 75 centimeters at high tide.
Mamdani said a state of emergency has been declared in the city and that a travel ban will be in effect from 9.00 pm on Sunday until 12.00 pm on Monday. Schools in the city also be closed on Monday, he said at a press conference.
All of New Jersey is under a blizzard warning for the first time in 30 years, with a 90% likelihood of the entire state receiving 30 centimeters or more of snow. Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties, urging residents to get off the roads immediately. "Take this storm seriously," she said.
The NWS Boston office flagged a potentially "historic and destructive" storm southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor, warning of wind gusts of 95 to 113 kilometers per hour, widespread power outages, and tree damage, with the worst conditions expected Monday between 4.00 am and noon.
Wind gusts of 65 to 113 km/h are forecast across coastal New Jersey into southeastern New England, with moderate to major coastal flooding expected from Delaware to Cape Cod, including road inundation and property damage near waterfront areas.
The NWS's Winter Storm Severity Index identified southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Long Island, Rhode Island, and southeastern Massachusetts as facing the highest impact levels, warning of "extensive and widespread disruptions to daily life."
