LOS ANGELES, California, September 28, 2026 — A nor’easter soaked New England over the weekend with torrential rain, damaging wind and coastal flooding. Gusts exceeding 70 mph were reported in Southern New England, where the National Weather Service said dangerous surf slammed the shoreline. Tens of thousands were left without power, and hundreds of flights were grounded at Boston’s Logan International Airport.
Rain, Wind and Flooding
For the heaviest rain in southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, some totals exceeded 7 inches. New Bedford scored the least at 6.5 inches, while Bourne made it into the record books with 7.74 inches. Since most of the region was already in drought when the storm hit, rain came with a measure of relief as well as destruction.
Marshfield experienced coastal flooding, downed trees and large branches, but Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Smith said the flooding was not as bad as had been anticipated. High tides pushed water to shore along with coastal lowland flooding and beach erosion continued Sunday. After hammering the Massachusetts coast for nearly 36 hours, winds began to ease.
The storm smashed New York City and the New Jersey shore hardest, reporting up to 8 inches of rain in some locations farther south. A worker with the city’s housing authority was killed Saturday when a falling tree smashed down on him in a Brooklyn parking lot. The system, they said, would loop around Long Island for at least another 24 hours.
Power Outages
According to outage tracking data, over 130,000 customers were without power Sunday morning across the Northeast. About 76,000 outages were in New York state alone, with tens of thousands also reported across New Jersey and Connecticut. At Montauk Point on the east end of Long Island, winds hit 81 mph.
Rhode Island Energy reported about 1,400 customers in the dark Sunday morning in New England. As of Sunday night, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency tracker reported more than 800 customers still without service. Convinced that trees still clad in foliage catch more wind and can take down power lines.
Flooding and high winds made repairs dangerous, delaying crews in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Restoration times differ by region, and clients can check their energy provider’s outage map for updated estimates. And meteorologists said the risk of tidal flooding would last right through the high tides that arrive on Sunday morning and evening.
Air and Rail Disruptions
Cancellations peaked at about 250 for Logan on Saturday, and 192 flights had remained canceled early Sunday. Flight tracking data showed 338 cancellations and 390 delays at the airport by Sunday evening. Rail passengers also faced more trouble as Amtrak had canceled at least six trains on Sunday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the rentals were operating at a higher than normal capacity. In New England, teams stood by in case outages extended across the region. In New Jersey, southern New York and several local communities, states of emergency were declared.
Flooding also severed highway access to Hatteras Island, North Carolina. Floodwater sent waves through the streets of Norfolk, Virginia as passing cars pushed wakes. A vehicle was stuck by floodwater in Sea Bright, New Jersey, leading emergency crews to rescue a woman and her dog.
What Travelers Should Do
Because schedules change all weekend, travelers are advised to check the status of their flights or trains before heading out to the airport or station. Airlines typically offer complimentary rebooking following such weather, meaning that passengers should explore potential options via the airline’s app. Despite being able to go through a few inches of water, vehicles can quickly stall, and hidden pavement damaged by flooding will cause serious damage.
The National Weather Service has forecasts and coastal flood advisories for each region. While winds are expected to die down, the potential for flooding remains as a result of high tides along the shore. People must also report downed power lines to their utility and stay away from them.
