Roads flood in New Jersey, inundate some homes, as first major signs of
nor'easter take shape
[September 26, 2026]
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and LEAH WILLINGHAM
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Thousands were without power on the U.S. East
Coast on Friday night as roads flooded in some coastal New Jersey
communities, the first major signs of a powerful nor’easter expected to
create dangerous conditions through the weekend.
Tens of millions of people are in the path of the storm already
beginning to lash the region with strong winds and rain as it braces for
much more. Dangerous flooding is expected along the Mid-Atlantic coast,
particularly near New Jersey and Delaware, according to the National
Weather Service.
In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, water, with waves
rippling along its surface, flooded the streets, inundating some homes.
About 34 miles (54.7 kilometers) up the coast in the borough of
Manasquan, where some roads were also flooding, Mayor Mike Mangan said
he expected “a lot of water in the streets for a long time.” A voluntary
evacuation had been issued earlier in some low-lying areas of the
community.
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 cancellation fees
for some East Coast flights through the weekend.
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.
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John Garrisi, left, and Gaige Graf move an outdoor table away from
the shorefront during the early stages of a nor'easter storm,
Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Gloucester, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F.
Bukaty)
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
More than 200 flights to and from airports in Boston, Nantucket,
Martha’s Vineyard and New York had been canceled Friday, and more
cancellations were already in place for Saturday.
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
cancellations Friday 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.”
Ashley Destino of Gloucester, a coastal city in northern
Massachusetts, enjoyed a stroll along the beach with her two young
children before preparing to hunker down at home during the storm.
“We came to the beach on Friday afternoon because we knew we were
going to be inside all weekend,” said Destino, who has Legos and
arts and crafts activities prepared to entertain her two children,
ages 7 and 4.
She also prepared by securing her boat with additional lines, and
her husband pulled out a generator in case the electricity goes out.
___
Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Michael
Casey in Boston; Rodrique Ngowi in Gloucester, Massachusetts; and
Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.
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