And since sea levels have risen up to a foot due to global warming, the storm surges pushed by Hermine could be even more damaging, climate scientists say.
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Michael Mann at Pennsylvania State University noted that this century’s 1-foot sea-level rise in New York City meant 25 more square miles flooded during Superstorm Sandy, causing billions in additional damage. “And it’s only the beginning”.
Malloy said all state campgrounds will be closed at noon Sunday and the state emergency management center will be partially activated at 6 p.m.to monitor conditions as Hurricane Hermine moves south of CT.
Federal officials in NY are investigating an emergency alert system after a mistakenly truncated message about storm system Hermine wrongly advised TV watchers on Long Island of an ordered evacuation, authorities said Sunday.
It was classified as a Category 1 hurricane until it lost strength while cutting across Florida and Georgia, but forecasters expected winds to return to hurricane force of more than 74 miles per hour (119 kph) by Sunday evening.
Hermine, the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida in 11 years, swept ashore on Friday near the town of St. Marks with winds of 80 miles per hour.
Tyrell County Sheriff Darryl Liverman told The Virginian-Pilot that the winds tipped the truck over as it crossed the U.S. Highway 64 bridge over the Alligator River around 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
Field did warn that local residents should stay out of the water if they head to the beach over the holiday and into Tuesday and Wednesday, since Hermine is expected to linger a couple hundred miles off the coast and cause unsafe rip currents and surf.
It has caused two deaths, inflicted widespread property damage and closed beaches as far north as NY.
“It’s just going to meander for a few days”, said Dennis Feltgen of the National Hurricane Centre, explaining that Hermine was unlikely to make landfall again but was positioned to batter the coast with wind and waves.
In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Saturday in advance of the storm.
“Widespread moderate to major flooding is now expected with the Sunday evening high tide and the Monday morning high tide, especially from Atlantic City south to coastal DE, when the storm is expected to make its closest approach to the area”, the weather service said, adding that significant beach erosion is forecast.
Hermine roared through communities along the Atlantic coast Saturday, battering beaches from the Outer Banks to the Delmarva Peninsula with blustery winds and rain.
And on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks, a small tornado spawned by Hermine knocked over two trailers and injured four people, authorities said.
Hermine has been linked to at least two deaths – a man sleeping in a tent in Ocala who died after a tree fell on him and the death of a truck driver whose vehicle overturned due to high winds in eastern North Carolina. But he said he wasn’t aware of any buildings that were actually flooded in his neighborhood.
“We’ll get up early tomorrow morning and take in everything that can fly, and then we hope for the best”, Maryann Krause, of Island Park, said.
The warnings were ominous enough that officials closed beaches and roads and canceled Labor Day events. “It was definitely a slower weekend than normal”.
One person died in Florida as Hermine approached. A Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert set for Virginia Beach also was postponed to Monday because of the storm.
In New York City, all construction cranes have been ordered to stop work.
Christie said he doesn’t expect any evacuations will be needed, assuming the storm continues to move eastward, but he urged residents and tourists to monitor things throughout the weekend.
“All the waffles are still hard”, she said with relief, referring to the cones.
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Schwartzman reported from Washington.
