About 1million people from Virginia to Massachusetts were still without power Sunday, two days after a destructive nor’easter swept the East Coast.
Skies were clear Sunday over much of the Northeast hit by the storm, but many are still unsure whether they can return home and schools aren’t sure if they will reopen Monday morning.
The storm has been blamed for at least nine deaths, including two children who were struck by trees.
But officials warn that severe weather is still to come in areas along the East Coast this week.
Another storm is forming and is expected to hit parts of Florida on Tuesday before moving upward towards the Northeast on Wednesday into Thursday.
Florida and parts of the Caribbean should expect high surf tides from the slow moving storm as it continues to churn out towards the Atlantic Ocean. These tides could continue into early next week and cause flooding in areas along the coast of Florida.
Heavy rainfall and snow mixtures are anticipated while the winds should be less severe than what was experienced during Storm Riley.
About 1million people from Virginia to Massachusetts were still without power Sunday, two days after a destructive nor’easter swept the East Coast. Pictured is the Orleans, Massachusetts Natural Resource manager Nate Sears with Ed Hathorne keeping an eye n the high tide surf at Nauset Beach on Saturday
Skies were clear Sunday over much of the Northeast hit by the storm, but many are still unsure whether they can return home and schools aren’t sure if they will reopen Monday morning. Pictured is a woman who had to abandon her car Saturday due to the high floods in Winthrop, Massachusetts
The storm has been blamed for at least nine deaths, including two children who were struck by trees. But officials warn that severe weather is still to come in areas along the East Coast this week
Another storm is forming, though, and is expected to hit parts of Florida on Tuesday before moving upward towards the North East on Wednesday into Thursday
Heavy rainfall and snow mixtures are anticipated while the winds should be less severe than what was experienced during Storm Riley. Pictured is the cleanup effort on Friday in Quincy, Massachusetts
The storm has veered away from the coast but is still causing disruption with strong winds which will last throughout Saturday
In Scituate, Massachusetts, a hard-hit coastal town near Boston, heavy construction vehicles worked to clear away several feet of sand that had covered roads near Peggotty Beach.
Town officials planned to deploy a drone to help assess coastal damage.
Further north, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker inspected storm damage in other battered coastal communities.
While perched on a sea wall in Gloucester – something officials have urged people not to do – the Republican got soaked by a strong wave, WBZ-AM reported.
‘People should not stand on sea walls, correct,’ Baker said sheepishly.
‘However, I did want to get a look at what things were like on the other side, which I did get a look at before I got hit by the wave.’
As of mid-afternoon Sunday, more than 180,000 people remained without power in Massachusetts. More than 230,000 were powerless in Pennsylvania, and large-scale outages also continued in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.
A police car in Parkway, New Jersey, was wrecked on Friday. The police officer driving it lost control on an icy road while responding to a call of another overturned vehicle. The cop survived with minor injuries
A tree crushed a vehicle in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on Friday. The driver was the only person in the car and they survived
A large wave crashes over the seawall in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on Saturday at high tide
In four New York counties dealing with widespread power outages and flooding Governor Andrew Cuomo declared states of emergency.
‘This is an all-hands-on-deck situation and the people of the Hudson Valley should know that New York State is doing everything we can to restore power and help them recover as quickly as possible,’ Cuomo said, according to Pix 11.
The counties named were Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan an Westchester Counties, where about 136,500 people are currently without power. In total more than 360,000 New Yorkers were without power at the height of the storm, and currently that number is 182,000 across the state.
In New Jersey, officials said some areas might not have their electricity restored until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Among those affected was John Thompson, of Morris Township, whose family has been staying with in-laws.
‘We have two young girls, so staying in a home without electricity wasn’t an option,’ Thompson said Sunday while having breakfast with his family.
‘I know (the utility crews) are working as hard and fast as they can, but it’s still frustrating that it’s taking so long.’
An abandoned car in Quincy, Massachusetts, is swept away in flood water on Friday. More floods are expected throughout the day on Saturday as high tide approaches again
A woman and child are rescued by boat in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Friday after getting stuck in flood waters
Downed traffic lights in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The governor declared a state of emergency because of the wind
In the Philadelphia suburbs, the Lower Merion School District said one high school and one elementary school remained without power and would not open Monday unless it was restored. At one of its high schools with power, the district invited residents to charge their phones and take hot showers.
‘Dress warmly,’ Superintendent Robert Copeland advised. ‘Many of our buildings have been without power for several days and it will take time for them to warm up.’
New Hampshire was spared extensive power outages, but its short stretch of coastline was littered with debris.
‘We saw some of the worst coastal flooding since the ‘Perfect Storm’ back in 1991,’ said David Cropper, owner of the Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop in Hampton.
The surf remained high Sunday but there was no surfing because of strong winds.
The Coast Guard warned of navigational hazards off Oregon Inlet in North Carolina’s Outer Banks after high winds and heavy seas swept about 70 containers off the cargo ship Maersk Shanghai late Saturday.
The Liberian-registered ship had departed from Norfolk, Virginia, earlier in the day.
The transportation disruptions caused by the storm were mostly resolved by Sunday. But North Carolina’s Highway 12 was closed in both directions along a section on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks.
As a result, the state transportation department said Hatteras and Ocracoke islands were temporarily inaccessible by land transport.
Air travelers stand at the check in counter during a winter nor’easter at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Friday
Walking past Independence Hall, a woman braves the snow and wind along Market Street in Philadelphia on Friday
The tracks at Hoboken train station in New Jersey had flooded on Friday morning as a result of the sudden and torrential rain
In Scituate, a Massachusetts town near Boston, water rushes through the streets at high tide as Winter Storm Riley takes hold on Friday, March 2
AmTrak suspended services on Friday as wind, snow and rain pounded the region. The service resumed later on Saturday with severe delays.
At Dulles Airport in Virginia, sustained winds of more than 50mph were recorded for more than 12 hours straight.
The highest winds Friday were recorded in Barnstable, Massachusetts, where a gust of 93mph was recorded.
On Nantucket, gusts reached 90mph, and 91mph winds were felt in Wellfleet. On Saturday, they are not expected to surpass 60mph.
The National Guard is on hand to assist with rescues in Massachusetts and state help is being given to Maryland and Pennsylvania as a result of the states of emergency which have been declared.
The National Weather Service had coastal flood watches and warnings in place from southern Maine through coastal North Carolina, including New York’s eastern suburbs, and also warned that a snowstorm heading east from the Ohio Valley could drop significant amounts of snow in northern New York State.
Ocean-facing homes could be destroyed by the storm surge and waves, while people who live in neighborhoods reached by low-lying roads could be cut off from services for hours or days, officials and government forecasters warned.
‘This could be another storm with prolonged onshore flooding,’ said Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist with private forecasting services Accuweather.
Voluntary evacuation orders are in place across coastal Massachusetts.