New England was just hours away from feeling the first visible effects of Hurricane Lee as the powerful storm sped north Friday morning, bringing a range of dangerous weather including high winds and strong waves to last at least into Saturday.
While the storm’s center will likely remain in the eastern US and move into Maritime Canada, Lee’s powerful wind field stretches hundreds of miles and will not spare the New England coast from its wrath, the FOX Prediction Center said.
Conditions will deteriorate on Friday afternoon, and be at their worst on Saturday before ending quickly late Saturday into early Sunday morning.
In Massachusetts, winds picked up late Friday morning when gusts were reported around 40 mph on Nantucket.
Preparations are also racing to completion in places like Cape Cod as Lee’s impact is expected to be felt throughout the weekend.
Boat owners began to tie up their ships or remove them entirely from the harbor in hopes of saving them from being destroyed by strong winds and waves.
In Massachusetts, winds picked up late Friday morning when gusts were reported around 40 mph on Nantucket. ZUMAPRESS.com
Two days after heavy flooding from 10 inches of rain, residents of Leominster, MA are cleaning up and assessing the damage. ZUMAPRESS.com
The National Hurricane Center lowered the Hurricane Watch for Downeast Maine while Canada extended the Hurricane Watch eastward to Ecum Secum.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for most of the New England Coast, extending from the Massachusetts/Rhode Island border north into Canada.
The previous Hurricane Watch for Downeast Maine was the first since Hurricane Kyle in 2008.
Weather experts say Hurricane Lee is expected to hit Nova Scotia and southwestern New Brunswick over the weekend. Fox Weather Center
Current forecasts indicate Lee will likely make landfall along the west coast of Nova Scotia or perhaps the extreme southwest corner of New Brunswick.
But Lee’s large size means that the exact location of the landing will affect the expected impact minimally.
“Looking at the cone, you’ll notice it’s going to be very thin,” said FOX meteorologist Britta Merwin. “The impact will be outside the cone, especially when it comes to wind because the wind field is growing with this storm.”
Coastal communities braced for rising waters from storm surge, pounding waves
The combination of storm waves and high tides will cause areas that are normally dry near the coast to be flooded by rising water moving inland from the coastline.
Satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. AP
About 1-3 feet of surge is expected along Cape Cod and the New England coast, with 1-2 feet along Long Island.
The NHC said the deepest water will occur along the nearest coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves – some at 10-15 feet or higher depending on proximity to the storm.
“Some overwash may occur along much of the coast depending on the timing of the peak surge from the storm and how it coincides with the tide cycle,” said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. “Water levels in Long Island Sound could reach 3 feet above normal tide and 2 feet on the south coast of Long Island including on Fire Island. In addition to energy from storm surges, strong north and northeast winds on Friday will push water from New York’s Long Island Sound and Great South Bay onto north-facing coastlines, which could damage low-lying structures. The threat will be most pronounced at high tide.”
Downed trees from recent storms are seen in Killingly, Conn as New Englanders prepare for Hurricane Lee.AP
Meanwhile, dangerous and rough waves have hit much of the East Coast and will continue as the Category 1 hurricane moves north offshore.
“Ocean energy from the broad sweep of Hurricane Lee’s winds will peak along the coast (Friday),” Norcross said. “Stronger waves and high water levels will cause beach erosion in some areas during high tide. The current along the coast and in will be very strong.”
By Thursday afternoon, waves and choppy waves were visible along the Southeast coast.
Dangerous waves and rough waves have already hit the East Coast and will continue as the storm moves north, weather experts say. Fox Weather Center
North Carolina’s Outer Banks felt overwhelmed along Highway 12 more than an hour before high tide was expected.
As of Friday morning, a Coastal Flood Warning and High Surf Advisory will remain in effect for the North Carolina coast through Sunday.
Coasts from Florida to the Northeast will see big waves and deadly currents into the weekend.
Surfers are seen at Lighthouse Point Park as Hurricane Lee brought strong waves and dangerous rip currents to the Central Florida coast on September 14, 2023. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Big waves hitting the East Coast will also lead to extensive beach erosion.
Hurricane Lee brought winds over 60 mph to the coastline
People living in warned areas in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine can expect 50-65 mph winds along coastlines as Hurricane Lee makes its closest approach on Saturday.
These strong winds have the potential to cause power outages, fallen trees and coastal flooding. In areas farther inland, gusts of 40-50 mph are expected.
“For consistent tropical storms, we’re talking about Cape Cod, Nantucket, and the stretch toward the Maine coast,” Merwin said. “Once you get inland like across Vermont and inland New Hampshire, we’re talking about tropical storm force winds.”
Luis Javier (L) and Wichie Torres pull boxes of lobster onto dry land at the Stonington Lobster Co-op in preparation for the possible arrival of Hurricane Lee on Sept. 15, 2023, in Stonington, Maine. Getty Images
A boat crew is seen pulling a sailboat named Hurricane from the waters of Padanaram Harbor in Dartmouth, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in preparation for the hurricane. AP
With the bulk of the storm remaining east of most of New England, winds will remain high but not extreme.
“Hurricane Lee will behave like a giant nor’easter, which New England should be able to handle without too much trouble,” Norcross said. “The biggest difference is that the leaves are still on the trees, which means the wind is doing more damage than in the winter.”
Hurricane Lee brought strong winds, heavy waves to Bermuda
As Lee skirted Bermuda’s pink sand beaches, storms had been lashing the island with rain, wind and waves lately.
Strong winds, with gusts of up to 51 miles per hour, caused power outages across the island on Thursday evening.
Fox Weather experts predict wind forecasts for the weekend following the possible arrival of Hurricane Lee. Fox Weather Center
The storm will not produce significant flooding due to its forecast track and rapid movement, but some places along the coast in Maine could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain over the weekend.
Lee will quickly move through the Canadian Maritimes Sunday, allowing for rapidly improving conditions in New England Sunday.
More rain returns to the Northeast on Monday as a more traditional frontal system moves in.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
