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16 hours ago
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Tens of millions of Americans along the East Coast have been warned that a 'significant nor'easter' is about to pound as many as 17 states with the power of a tropical storm.
The major weather system is set to deliver drenching rain, coastal flooding, deadly rip currents and damaging wind gusts starting Tuesday and lasting into the weekend.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and North Carolina are all expected to see persistent downpours through Wednesday, which could cause life-threatening flash floods.
The storm is expected to move up the East Coast, bringing winds over 60 mph and coastal flooding to cities along the Atlantic in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine by Friday.
AccuWeather expert meteorologist Alyssa Glenny warned in a statement: 'This storm may be capable of producing tropical-storm-force wind gusts later this week.'
A nor'easter is a strong storm that forms along the US East Coast, named for the northeast winds that blow over the Mid-Atlantic and New England when a low-pressure system sits over the ocean.
While they are usually thought of as giant snowstorms, nor'easters can happen at any time of the year, with the strongest ones hitting in late fall through winter.
With the nor'easter arriving on the final day of summer, forecasters are urging beachgoers and those on boats to prepare for potentially deadly storm conditions due to rough surf, large waves and strong rip currents for hundreds of miles.
Pictured: A person wearing a rain poncho struggles with their umbrella during an autumn nor'easter in October 2021 in New York (File Image)
Heavy rain is expected across the US East Coast this week as a major nor-easter moves across 17 states from North Carolina to Maine
Coastal flooding is expected in multiple states later in the week as forecasters have compared the nor'easter to a tropical storm
A September storm is early and uncommon for a strong nor'easter, and meteorologists with AccuWeather expect this one in the first week of fall will bring more rain instead of snow.
Despite the warmer weather, the forecast still predicts temperatures will still drop across all of the affected states by five to 15 degrees below their late summer averages.
Forecasters explained that a high pressure has been sitting in place like a traffic jam over the Great Lakes. That 'block' has forced fast, high-altitude winds to dip and stall instead of keeping weather moving west to east.
Due to this stall, storms that were crossing the Midwest stop advancing and are now primed to dump continuous showers over the eastern US.
A new storm is then expected to form right along the East Coast or a couple hundred miles offshore and get stronger later this week.
When the storm’s center is over or near the ocean, winds along the shore blow from the northeast. Those winds shove water toward land, raise tides and drive large waves onto the US coast.
By Wednesday, the new coastal storm strengthening in the Atlantic is expected to cause the the most severe coastal flooding and beach erosion around high tide in the lower Chesapeake Bay - affecting Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and southern New Jersey.
By Thursday and Friday, the storm is expected to shift toward Long Island, New York and eastern New England, with stronger winds developing. Coastal flooding is likely from North Carolina to New York.
Pictured: An October 2025 nor'easter flooded neighborhoods in Long Island, New York (File Image)
Meteorologists predict the nor'easter will take one of two tracks. The first would cause severe rain and wind along the US East Coast
The second possible track for the nor'easter would produce less rain, with the main concern being wind and coastal flooding
A full moon later this week was already set to make tides rise higher than normal, so the storm can pile the water even higher.
The AccuWeather team said the closer the storm stays to the coast, the worse the wind, flooding and beach erosion will be.
Last week, flash floods killed three people in New Mexico as late-season monsoon storms battered the Southwest.
Rain totals across Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico were said to have reached between two and four inches over the course of just a few days in major metropolitan areas, including Phoenix.
Forecasters have not given precise rain totals for this week's nor'easter yet, but have warned that property damage will be a major concern as flooding rains, rise coastal waters and extreme winds hit the East Coast by the end of the week.
AccuWeather expert meteorologist Alex Sosnowski added in a statement: 'The track will highly influence the storm’s impact.'
'The storm may wander out to sea for a time, then drift west and return closer to the coast later this week. More significant impacts will occur should the storm strengthen over open water and turn back toward the mid-Atlantic or New England coast.'
