Powerful storm rolls into Northeast on fifth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy

October 30, 2017 3oliver

Passersby walk along the Promenade in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood as rain and clouds loom over lower Manhattan on the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, in New York. Craig Ruttle / AP

And the storm was expected to bring “hurricane force wind gusts” to coastal waters from eastern Massachusetts to southern Maine early Monday, according to the National Weather Service. A hurricane-force wind warning means winds of 64 knots or greater are imminent or already happening, according to the NWS.

“All vessels should remain in port … or take shelter as soon as possible …. until winds and waves subside,” the weather service said.

Experts are recommending recreational boaters to keep their boats at the seaport and avoid sailing in the waters while the storm watch is in effect. The National Weather Service also advised people to prepare for strong winds and take shelter.

Power outages and tree damage were possible across the Northeast as well, likely along the coast, according to the Weather Channel. Winds were expected to trigger delays at major airports in the region.

The storm comes five years after Sandy made landfall in New Jersey, beginning its devastation to the area. Sandy led to the death of 182 individuals and more than $71 billion in damage in the United States. The hurricane knocked out power in millions of homes, the Associated Press reported.

John Rowe, senior meteorologist at the Weather Channel, expects the storm to merge with Tropical Storm Philippe on the East Coast. “The whole system is going to intensify [Sunday night] and it’ll bring heavy rains from Eastern Pennsylvania and heavy rain and wind,” he said. Philippe is forming around the Bahamas and veering away from Florida, according to the Weather Channel.

Rowe said he expects the storm to peak Sunday night and “lift away” on Monday.