A slow-moving nor’easter battered the East Coast on Saturday, September 26, 2026, delivering torrential rain, wind gusts exceeding 70 mph, and major coastal flooding that closed roads, canceled hundreds of flights, and left tens of thousands of customers without power across multiple states.
Tens of millions of residents from Virginia to New England found themselves in the path of the powerful, early-season storm. High winds toppled trees and whipped up dangerous waves reaching 16 feet or more off the Jersey Shore and southern New England. Across the region, about 100,000 customers lost electricity on Saturday, with infrastructure damage mounting as the storm’s slow track kept it lingering off the coast.
Fatal Tree Collapse in Brooklyn and Regional Power Outages
The storm’s first confirmed fatality occurred in Brooklyn, New York, where a 56-year-old man walking through a parking lot was struck and killed by a falling tree, according to the New York City Police Department. The New York City Housing Authority later confirmed that the victim was an employee of the agency.
Infrastructure strain was widespread. Outage trackers recorded roughly 84,600 customers without service across five Northeast states early Saturday, climbing toward 100,000 as winds intensified. In New Jersey, FirstEnergy reported about 20,000 outages concentrated in Ocean County and Toms River, while Jersey Central Power & Light counted over 21,000 outages and Atlantic City Electric reported more than 5,500. PSE&G Long Island noted it had restored power to more than 23,000 customers since Friday morning, though thousands remained in the dark.
Severe Coastal Flooding and Water Rescues from New Jersey to Long Island
Coastal communities absorbed the worst of the inundation as persistent onshore winds combined with a full moon to push astronomical tides well above normal levels. In Freeport, Long Island, high tide reached a major stage of 7.8 feet, marking the highest level in more than two years. In Ocean County, New Jersey, high tide hit 5.7 feet, recording the third highest on record.
Emergency responders raced to assist stranded residents. In Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, nine adults and a dog were rescued from flooded motel rooms. In Atlantic City, firefighters responded to vehicle fire calls directly in rising floodwaters. All bridges into Ocean City were temporarily closed as major flooding submerged local streets.
Kenny Formica, owner of a marina in Surf City, New Jersey, noted that the last time water entered his building was during Hurricane Sandy, an event he said caused more than $4 million in damage. This weekend, customers alerted him that boats and Jet Skis had broken free.
Emergency Declarations and Transport Disruptions Across the Northeast
Governors in the hardest-hit states took immediate defensive action. Governor Hochul cautioned residents against taking unnecessary risks as high tides peaked.
Transportation networks felt the immediate strain. More than 400 flights were canceled nationwide, with the vast majority grounded at Boston Logan International Airport as well as Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. In Queens, New York, video captured residents kayaking toward the Howard Beach–JFK subway station through flooded neighborhood streets. Forecasters with the National Weather Service warned that the storm would remain stationary off the coast before making a turn back toward New Jersey on Sunday, extending heavy rain and coastal flooding into the start of the workweek.
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