Post-Tropical Storm Hermine was still hanging around off the East Coast on Monday morning and was expected to bring tropical storm conditions to parts of New England for the next few days.
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Speaking at a news conference in Morristown, Christie warned that minor to moderate flooding was still likely in coastal areas. He also said the storm will cause major beach erosion, strong storm surges and risky rip currents.
“Please prepare, please have enough food and water for everyone in your household, please make sure you’re clearing your yards of anything that might take flight in wind conditions”, he said.
The storm transitioned into more of a Nor’easter-type of storm Saturday, and the winds are near hurricane strength at the center.
Atlantic County emergency officials advise beach goers to continue to exercise caution and only enter water at guarded beaches as permitted. And Amtrak cancelled or altered some service as the storm approached.
“This will also allow us to better coordinate any assistance to our municipalities that may be necessary”, Malloy said. The storm surge is expected to reach the coast tonight and widespread flooding is expected to occure coinciding with high tides tonight and Monday afternoon. The result, he said, could be coastal flooding 1 to 3 feet deep.
The surge was expected to extend from Virginia to New Jersey.
Mercer says the path of the storm is still uncertain, so people should check their weather forecasts in case the intensity changes.
Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour were expected, threatening to create scattered power outages, as the former hurricane meanders out at sea.
“It’s like a winter storm, where 50 miles can be the difference between a major storm and a couple inches of snow”, AccuWeather meteorologist Evan Duffey said. Hermine is expected to make a gradual north-northwest turn later Monday.
Elsewhere along the Atlantic coast south of New Jersey, officials breathed a collective sigh of relief early Sunday, as Hermine started to veer out to sea, in an east-northeast direction. It’s now working its way up the coast at six miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Heading into Monday, Hermine is expected to turn northward, increasing the threat of bad weather for parts of DE, eastern Long Island, Rhode Island and MA, gradually weakening by Monday night and beginning to exit the Northeast US coast sometime Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center maintained its tropical storm watch for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and said risky storm surges would continue along the coast from Virginia to New Jersey.
Governors all along the coast announced emergency preparations.
Those waves could also cause rip currents.
In the latest report from the National Hurrican Center, Hermine is about 270 miles southeast of Atlantic City and is moving northeast at 12 mph. Emergency officials warned that anyone who stayed would not be able to leave after ferries shut down Sunday evening.
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It has caused two deaths, inflicted widespread property damage and closed beaches as far north as NY. The company expects service to those customers to be restored by 5 p.m. Monday.
