Henri weaker than forecast as it strikes east coast of US
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Tropical Storm Henri was downgraded to a tropical depression late on Sunday after slamming into Rhode Island on the US east coast, knocking out power to thousands of Americans, uprooting trees, and bringing record rainfall.
The storm hit land near the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, about 12:15pm, the National Weather Service said. Henri had already been downgraded from a Category 1 Hurricane earlier on Sunday.
But the National Hurricane Center said in its 5am advisory that Henri was “nearly stationary” and winds had reduced to 48 kilometers per hour — much lower than predicted gusts of 121 kilometers an hour — with “little change in strength” forecast.
Henri is a rare tropical storm to strike America’s northeastern seaboard and comes as the surface layer of oceans warms due to climate change.
The warming is causing cyclones to become more powerful and carry more water, posing an increasing threat to the world’s coastal communities.
Millions of residents in New England and New York’s Long Island had been told to prepare for violent winds, days without electricity, and storm surges of up to 1.5 meters.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said there was “significant flooding” in areas. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
By mid-afternoon, the NHC had lifted all surge warnings and initial reports from residents indicated the storm was not as bad as projections feared although fallen trees nearly damaged homes in Groton, Connecticut.
“We dodged a bullet,” said James Kiker, of Newport, Rhode Island, adding he saw only “minimal damage.”
Residents on Long Island, home to the plush Hamptons villages where wealthy New Yorkers retreat in summer, expressed relief that the storm’s path had skirted east of them.
“I will continue to stay alert as still plenty of wind, rain and surging seas await us but I am breathing a little easier,” said Amy Pedatella, a 46-year-old property manager who spent Saturday securing seaside homes in the Hamptons.
In Newark, New Jersey, flash flooding caused havoc with emergency services rescuing 86 people, including 16 children, from submerged vehicles.
Some 79,000 people lost power in Rhode Island and another 33,000 suffered blackouts in Connecticut, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us.
More than 200 flights were canceled at Newark airport while New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports canceled almost 200 between them.
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