- Henri could make landfall like a hurricane on Sunday between Long Island and Cape Cod.
- The storm surge, up to 5 feet in some areas, could be one of the storm’s biggest threats.
- In North Carolina, 5 people were still missing due to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Fred.
NEW YORK – Tropical Storm Henri, which was scheduled to become a hurricane by Saturday, had its sights set on the northeast as the storm’s track continually moved closer to land.
Threatening to bring destructive winds, up to 8 inches of rain and up to 5 feet of storm surge, Henry could be the first major hurricane to make landfall in New England in years.
The storm sparked memories of Hurricane Bob, which made landfall 30 years ago on Cape Cod, cutting off power and running water for days. Bob was the last hurricane to hit Cape Cod and the Islands.
The landing could take place between Long Island and Cape Cod on Sunday, said Da’Vel Johnson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York City.
The impact of each storm is slightly different, and with Henry, the storm surge could be a significant threat, Johnson said.
“On Sunday the waves and the swell of the water will start to rise,” he said.
Meanwhile, five people were still missing in western North Carolina on Friday afternoon after severe flooding from Tropical Storm Fred that flooded the state earlier this week, compared with about 20 people missing. Thursday. Governor Roy Cooper assessed the damage on Thursday, where some 200 water rescues took place along the still swollen Pigeon River.
And in the Gulf, Grace regained the force of the hurricane on Friday before it crashed into central Mexico for its second landing in the country.
Henri calls Bob back to Cape Cod; some parts of New York see hurricane watches
A combination of storm surges, destructive winds and heavy rain could cause severe damage northeast of Henry.
The storm surge could reach 3 to 5 feet from Watch Hill, Rhode Island, to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts. The surge along Long Island and in Rhode Island could reach 2 to 4 feet, while the Jersey coast could see 1 to 3 feet of surge, the National Hurricane Center said.
Henri’s winds can arrive from late Saturday to Sunday. Winds were reaching 70 mph as it circled about 720 miles south of Montauk Point, New York, at 2 p.m. ET on Friday.
Rainfall of 2 to 5 inches was expected in southern New England, with a few isolated patches of up to 8 inches, possibly causing flash floods.
“Given these amounts, especially with how we are prepared after an extremely wet summer, flash floods will be a significant threat along with urban flooding and small flooding,” Boston’s National Weather Service said in a statement. forecast online.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday urged those vacationing in Cape Town to leave well before Henry’s arrival, and those planning to start their vacation there to delay their plans.
“We don’t want people stuck in traffic on Cape Cod bridges when the storm is at its peak Sunday,” he said.
When Bob landed on August 19, 1991, much of the Cape and the Massachusetts Islands were devastated for days.
“We shut down the whole system in response to Bob 30 years ago, but we wouldn’t have to do it today,” said William Hinkle, spokesperson for utility company Eversource.
Cape Cod is now better prepared than for Hurricane Bob.What if the storm was worse?
Massachusetts boaters were already one step ahead of the storm. “When in doubt, get it out” is my motto, “Barnstable Harbor Master Brian Taylor said. Like other Cape and Islander Harbor Masters, Taylor sent emails to those with holds and moorings to keep an eye on Henri and start taking precautionary measures.
At the US Navy Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut, on Friday, staff were securing submarine moorings, installing flood valves in front of the doors of some waterfront buildings, and was doubling the lines on small boats, officials said.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service office in New York issued its first hurricane watches for part of its area in 10 years, when Hurricane Irene threatened in late August 2011. Sandy in 2012, although officially not a hurricane on landing, also caused widespread devastation to the area.
Much of eastern Long Island and the Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts coasts were under hurricane watch, while the coast closer to New York was under tropical storm watch.
“Everyone along the Long Island and New York City area has to watch,” Johnson said.
4 dead, 5 still missing in North Carolina due to Fred flooding
Devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Fred was still causing problems Friday in western North Carolina near Asheville, where at least four people were killed and five others are still missing days after the passage of the sea. storm.
Cooper visited the hardest-hit areas of the state on Thursday. In some areas, flooding washed away homes like unmoored boats and drowned residents caught in rising waters.
“We know that search and rescue efforts don’t stop until we know where people are or where we can’t find someone,” Cooper said as the rescue missions , with the help of the Air National Guard, continued.
About 10 to 15 bridges have been damaged or destroyed, officials said, making it harder to reach people.
Water levels have reached the point of a 100-year flood, an event that has a 1% chance of occurring each year.
There was hope of getting a damaged water plant back online by the weekend, Cooper said.
He declared a state of emergency as well as an executive decree that relaxed the rules for first responders and farmers having to save existing crops.
Through hitting Mexico again
Hurricane Grace was about 145 miles northeast of Veracruz at 2 a.m. ET on Friday, as the storm is expected to hit Mexico for a second time.
Grace made landfall on Thursday in the Yucatan Peninsula. Many streets were blocked by fallen branches and trees which knocked down power lines.
Most of the businesses remained closed, but the few that opened saw long lines of people waiting to buy tortillas and other food.
Quintana Roo Governor Carlos Joaquín said the storm cut power to some 84,000 customers in Cancun and 65,000 in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Aventura and Tulum. But he said no deaths had been reported.
The storm winds on Friday afternoon had returned to 90 mph and were heading west at 10 mph.
Contributors: Doug Fraser and Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times; Joel Burgess, Asheville Citizen Times; The Associated Press
