Nor’easter Floods Outer Banks, Threatens New England

A strengthening nor’easter is moving up the East Coast and has already caused coastal flooding, destructive surf and beach erosion in the Outer Banks, where overwash damaged and closed part of North Carolina Highway 12. Heavy rain, dangerous surf and coastal flooding are forecast from the Mid-Atlantic through New England this weekend, with coastal wind gusts generally 40 to 60 mph and isolated gusts potentially reaching 80 mph. Southern and eastern New England, including Massachusetts, could face especially strong winds, high-tide flooding, beach erosion, road closures and power outages; saturated ground and leaf-covered trees may raise the risk of falling trees and limbs. The hardest-hit areas remain uncertain because small shifts in the storm’s track could move the strongest winds and heaviest rain, while high tides are expected to worsen coastal impacts, with the full moon’s effects varying by location.