Live updates: Rhode Island reopens bridges to some traffic
Rhode Island has reopened major bridges in the state to traffic but restrictions remain in place for some vehicles
CHARLESTOWN, R.I. -- The latest developments on the storm system moving through the Northeast:
1:30 p.m.
Rhode Island has reopened major bridges in the state to traffic but restrictions remain in place for some vehicles.
All roads to the beach community of Misquamicut remain closed because of wind-driven flooding. Misquamicut is a small cluster of beach hotels and vacation cottages and was heavily damaged by storm surge during Superstorm Sandy.
The National Weather Service's Boston office has reported about 75,000 customers without power in Rhode Island, about 20,000 customers out in Connecticut and nearly 6,900 customers out in Massachusetts.
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12:30 p.m.
Tropical Storm Henri has made landfall in Rhode Island.
The National Hurricane Center says Henri came ashore in the coastal town of Westerly around 12:30 p.m. It had earlier passed over Block Island, a small but popular tourist island 13 miles (21 kilometers) offshore in Block Island Sound.
Henri was packing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour), and it was producing 19-foot (5.8-meter) waves in some places just before making landfall.
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12:15 p.m.
Rhode Island has shut down major bridges in the state due to high winds.
All roads to the beach community of Misquamicut have been closed by authorities because of wind-driven flooding. Misquamicut is a small cluster of beach hotels and vacation cottages and was heavily damaged by storm surge during Superstorm Sandy.
The state is stitched together by bridges so shutting them down may mean people are trapped where they are until the storm passes.
National Grid is reporting 74,000 customers without power in Rhode Island and EverSource is reporting nearly 20,000 customers out in Connecticut.
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7:40 a.m.
Henri weakened slightly to a tropical storm early Sunday as it edged closer to landfall.
Millions of people on New York’s Long Island and in southern New England braced for flooding, toppled trees and extended power outages.
Henri was on course to crash into a long stretch of northeastern coastline by midday Sunday. The center of the storm was projected to pass over the eastern tip of Long Island.
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MORE ON THE STORM:
—— A look at some of the biggest questions about Henri and its impact.