Multiday nor'easter forces emergency response across New York

By Daniel Okafor · Reporting from New York · September 25, 2026

As an early nor'easter hits the Northeast, state and municipal leaders are right to declare emergencies, because failing to prepare for severe coastal storms invites disaster.

A slow convergence of wind and water

NBC News said a multiday nor'easter is forecast to hit the Northeast with rain, wind and flooding starting Friday. Coastal flood alerts affect 33 million people from Virginia to Rhode Island as of Friday morning. Winds up to 65 mph are forecast. Long Island, New York and New England expect the strongest winds through Saturday night. Heavy rain bands are forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Coastal inundation is expected. As Hurricane Sandy (2012) proved, coastal storms do not need tropical names to rewrite shorelines and flood infrastructure.

The perfect storm hits the urban corridor

AccuWeather issued an alert for Saturday and Sunday for a nor'easter hitting the Jersey Shore and parts of the Philadelphia region, according to 6abc.com. Model consensus tracks the storm inland Sunday morning between Long Beach Island and Sandy Hook, New Jersey. A High Wind Warning is in effect for the Jersey Shore. A Wind Advisory covers most inland locations. Wind gusts may reach 60 mph at the shore. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem counties. The state of emergency went into effect Friday.

The Weather Channel said an early-season nor'easter is moving up the East Coast from North Carolina to New England through the weekend. The storm brings coastal flooding, high surf, heavy rain, and strong winds. Significant impacts are expected in the northern Outer Banks, southern New Jersey, Boston, and New York City. A wind gust of 52 mph was recorded on the north side of Long Island on Friday afternoon. Weather models place the center of the nor'easter back at the New Jersey coast on Sunday. Saturday's full moon will boost coastal flooding with some of the month's highest astronomical tides.

amNewYork said a nor’easter is expected to hit New York City and the northeastern U.S. this weekend. The National Weather Service expects rain to start Friday evening and continue through the weekend. The forecast predicts 2 to 3 inches of rain citywide. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, noting that once-in-a-century storms have become routine since she took office in 2021. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that the forecast path of the storm has moved closer to the city, bringing more rain and stronger winds. City workers are clearing catch basins, preparing for downed trees and positioning emergency resources in areas that could see coastal flooding.

Cancellations across a battered coast

ABC News said a nor'easter is bringing rain and strong winds to the Northeast through the weekend. The storm may cause power outages and flight disruptions along the Northeast coast. ABC Boston affiliate WCVB said Ed Sheeran's weekend concerts at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts were canceled, compounding tour controversies involving venue owner Robert Kraft. The Global Citizen Festival in New York City was canceled for the first time in 14 years. Global Citizen wrote on social media that safety has to come first after consulting with the City of New York and NYC Parks. The Oceans Calling music festival in Ocean City, Maryland, was canceled.

Infobae said a nor'easter, an extratropical cyclone formed in the Western North Atlantic, is approaching New York City and the Northeast United States. The National Weather Service warned the storm may bring coastal flooding, rip currents, strong wind gusts and intense rain. The Global Citizen festival scheduled for Saturday in Central Park is cancelled. The CBGB festival in Brooklyn, featuring The Prodigy, Patti Smith, and Sex Pistols, is cancelled. Newark airport in New Jersey reported over 600 delays. Mike Jones, the emergency management director for Upper Township, New Jersey, said that the waves and wave actions take everything in their path, adding that there is really no way to stop Mother Nature.

State governments and municipal agencies are right to declare emergencies and stage equipment ahead of this convergence, because ignoring the structural reality of these storms invites disaster.

Multiday nor'easter forces emergency response across New York

A slow convergence of wind and water

The perfect storm hits the urban corridor

Cancellations across a battered coast

Sources