Powerful Nor’easter Hammers Northeast With Sandy-Like Flooding, 74 MPH Gusts — NY and NJ Declare Emergency

NEW YORK — A powerful early-season nor’easter slammed the Northeast on Friday, September 26, 2026, bringing Sandy-like flooding, gusts up to 74 mph along the Jersey Shore, and widespread power outages that prompted the governors of New York and New Jersey to declare states of emergency for dozens of counties across the region as the slow-moving storm showed no signs of weakening.

By Friday evening, the storm had knocked out power to more than 85,000 customers across the two states, submerged coastal roads and neighborhoods, and forced emergency crews to deploy high-water rescue vehicles across multiple jurisdictions. One fatality was confirmed when a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority worker was killed in Brooklyn after a tree collapsed on him during the peak of the storm’s Friday afternoon intensity.

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York issued her emergency declaration early Friday afternoon, calling up the National Guard to pre-position rescue resources and directing state agencies to open emergency shelters across Long Island and coastal communities. In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy simultaneously activated the state’s emergency management apparatus, authorizing the use of National Guard assets and calling on residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate ahead of another anticipated surge of storm intensity expected Saturday night.

“Do not travel unless your life depends on it,” Murphy said during a Friday press conference in Trenton. “This storm is not done with us. The worst flooding on the Jersey Shore may not arrive until tomorrow night, and we need every resident to take this seriously.”

The National Weather Service confirmed that the storm produced wind gusts reaching 74 mph near Asbury Park, New Jersey — conditions capable of downing trees and power lines and pushing dangerous coastal surge onto shores that have been largely spared from major storm events since Hurricane Sandy’s catastrophic landfall in October 2012. Local officials in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey reported that emergency crews rescued nine adults and a dog from flooded motel rooms as storm surge inundated the ground floor of the facility.

Across Long Island, residents in low-lying areas of Nassau and Suffolk counties reported floodwaters rising to levels not seen in years, with some residents photographing kayakers navigating streets that are normally suburban through-routes. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended several Long Island Rail Road branch services Friday afternoon and warned that service disruptions could last through the weekend depending on the storm’s track.

The nor’easter canceled more than 400 flights at New York-area airports, including John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty, and forced postponement or cancellation of multiple cultural events, outdoor festivals, and sporting events scheduled across the metropolitan area this weekend.

The storm’s timing — arriving in late September, earlier in the fall season than major nor’easters typically develop — drew attention from climatologists. Several researchers noted that sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic remain significantly above historical averages for this time of year, providing unusually high levels of atmospheric energy for storm development and intensification. National Weather Service forecasters warned the system could linger through Monday, with multiple rounds of heavy rain and surge expected before conditions improve.

Emergency managers urged residents to stay off flooded roads, avoid downed power lines, and report emergencies only for life-threatening situations to preserve emergency response resources for the most critical needs. FEMA officials said they were monitoring the situation and coordinating with state emergency management agencies but had not yet issued formal disaster declarations — a step that would release federal resources for recovery efforts.

The storm arrives at an already turbulent moment for the Northeast’s political landscape, with midterm campaign events scheduled to resume across the region next week and a range of ongoing federal actions affecting the states. The Trump administration’s $1 billion in domestic spending cuts announced Friday include funding for HUD programs and emergency shelter services that advocates say are directly relevant to storm recovery support.

Full damage assessment will not be possible until the storm system fully clears, which forecasters do not expect before early next week.