Henri strengthens into a hurricane as it aims for the East Coast, heavy rain and flooding forecast
Tropical Storm Henri strengthened into a hurricane on Saturday and is expected to bring "dangerous storm surge, hurricane conditions and flooding rainfall."
The storm is currently located less than 500 miles from Montauk Point in Long Island.
Hurricane and storm surge watches are in effect for the US northeast region, with forecasts of heavy rain and flooding.
Tropical Storm Henri strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday as it continues to creep north through the Atlantic.
On its current track, the eye of Henri is expected to slam New England on Sunday as the first hurricane to hit the region in 30 years.
In an update, the National Hurricane Center said the storm is located less than 500 miles from Montauk Point in Long Island. Beginning late Saturday night and lasting into Sunday, the Center said, those in the area and around the northeast region of the US should expect a "dangerous storm surge, hurricane conditions and flooding rainfall."
Henri is moving parallel to the US East Coast as it approaches southern New England and Long Island. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Centers said while "some weakening is expected prior to landfall on Sunday, Henri is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the coasts of Long Island and southern New England."
That means sustained wind speeds of 74 mph or more. Currently, Henri is exhibiting maximum sustained winds at 75 mph.
Henri's threats include storm surge, flooding, and erosion along the coastlines of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Damaging, high-force winds east of where the storm makes landfall are also likely to occur.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued hurricane and storm surge watches for the coastal areas between New Haven, Connecticut, and Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts. The watches are also in effect for portions of Long Island's north and south shores, along with Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Block Island.
Heavy rainfall, high tides, and dangerous surf are expected
Tropical storm-force and hurricane-force winds from Henri, as well as ocean swells, are expected in southern New England as early as Saturday afternoon. Such swells could cause life-threatening surf conditions and rip tides as far north as Cape Cod.
Massachusetts Gov. Charles Baker urged residents to prepare for the coming storm and advised anyone planning to visit Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Martha's Vineyard to delay their trips, local news outlet 22News reported on Friday.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has declared a state of emergency ahead of Henri's landfall.
Heavy rainfall from Henri could lead to various types of floods, including flash floods, river and stream flooding, and flooding in cities across southern New England beginning Sunday. Two to 5 inches of rain are expected over eastern Long Island and southern New England Sunday into Monday.
That rainfall, coupled with storm surge and a higher-than-normal tide fueled by Sunday's full moon, could also cause coastal flooding in normally dry areas.
Power companies have already started preparations, expecting mass outages. Henri could leave millions of people across the densely-populated Northeast without power. Early estimates predict at least $1 billion in damages as it pushes from New York to Maine.
A rare New England landfall
If Henri makes landfall in New England as a Category 1 hurricane, it will be the first since Hurricane Bob in 1991.
"This is the first time in nearly 10 years that we've had a Hurricane Watch issued for portions of our area," the NWS in New York tweeted on Friday.
In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy caused devastating storm surge and flooding across all New England states, as well as New York and New Jersey. Sandy was not a hurricane when it made landfall.
NOAA predicts there will be up to 13 more named storms this season
By definition, any cyclone-shaped storm with winds faster than 39 mph is a tropical storm. Storms get named once their winds reach that speed. Then after winds hit 74 mph, a storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Henri is the year's eighth named storm; two of those storms, Elsa and Grace, became hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with activity peaking around September 10.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts there will be a total of seven to 10 hurricanes in 2021, and up to 21 named storms. That includes three to five major hurricanes - meaning Category 3, 4, or 5, with winds at least 111 mph. There have been no major hurricanes so far in 2021.
Overall, the average number of storms per season has increased due to climate change, so NOAA recently updated the baseline numbers it uses to make seasonal hurricane predictions. The agency now defines an average season based on data from 1991 to 2010, when the average was 14 named storms, seven of which were hurricanes. Previously, NOAA considered an average season to have12 storms in total, with six being hurricanes.
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