US Northeast battered by nor’easter as tidal surges flood homes, streets

Tidal flooding reaches homes, as a strong nor'easter coastal storm batters the US northeast coast, in Hampton, New Hampshire, US

A powerful nor’easter continued to batter the US Northeast on Sunday, bringing coastal flooding, strong winds and dangerous surf from New Jersey to New England, while disrupting power supplies and air travel across the region.According news agency AP, the storm killed a New York City Housing Authority worker on Saturday after a falling tree struck the worker. More than 100,000 customers across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic were without power at various points, while coastal communities faced repeated flooding as the slow-moving storm lingered over the region.New Jersey was among the worst-hit areas, with low-lying coastal communities experiencing repeated flooding during successive high tides.

Some parts of the state received more than 4 inches of rain since Friday, adding to the flood threat.In Sea Bright, a coastal community in New Jersey, residents and businesses dealt with rising water as another high tide brought fresh flooding. Officials warned that additional tidal flooding could occur as the storm continued to move slowly through the region.The storm also brought strong winds to parts of New York. On Long Island, trees and utility poles were knocked down, causing power outages and damaging property.

The National Weather Service said the storm was expected to weaken, but warned that the threat from coastal flooding would continue. Another round of high tides could bring further flooding to parts of New Jersey and New York.The weather system also disrupted air travel. More than 250 flights were cancelled at Boston Logan International Airport by late Sunday morning, while wind gusts at the airport reached around 40 mph.In New York City, several inches of water covered streets in the Howard Beach neighbourhood. Other coastal communities across the Northeast also reported flooding as strong winds pushed seawater inland.The storm has revived memories of Superstorm Sandy, which devastated parts of the US east coast in 2012 and caused more than $60 billion in damage. However, the current nor’easter is not comparable to Sandy in terms of overall impact, AP reported.Residents in some New Jersey communities said measures introduced after Sandy, including raising homes and using sandbags, helped limit damage from the latest storm.The nor’easter could also be the first of several major storms to affect the US east coast this fall, with meteorologists pointing to the influence of an El Niño weather pattern.