CONCORD.-A fierce winter storm slapped the northeastern United States with strong winds, leaving thousands of people without power amid a wave of inhospitable weather across much of the country.
The storm, which began Tuesday night and was moving Wednesday, flooded roads and downed trees and power lines. Winds were blowing between 72 and 88 kilometers per hour (45 and 55 miles per hour) and more winter weather was expected throughout Wednesday.
The storm occurs after a day of tornadoes and fatal accidents in the south and heavy snowfall in the center-west and northwest of the country.
In New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm, many streets and highways were flooded and rivers were swollen after some areas received up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain Tuesday in the night. The storm forced the suspension of some trains in New York City and flooded a highway in the Bronx, stranding thousands of workers Wednesday morning.
“This is going from bad to worse,” said Lou DeFazio, 65, of Manville, New Jersey. He added that the Millstone River, near where he lives, will overflow its banks on Wednesday.
In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills delayed opening all public offices until noon because of the storm, which started as snow and then turned to rain in parts of New England. There was heavy snow in parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine on Wednesday morning.
Parts of the Long Island shoreline were flooded Wednesday morning. In the Nassau County town of Freeport, cars made their way through flooded streets. Further east, near the Hamptons, the National Weather Service reported severe flooding in Shinnecock Bay. Several schools on Long Island suspended or postponed classes due to the storm.
The winter weather comes just as the northeastern United States is barely recovering from an earlier storm that dumped more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow in some areas.
In Danbury, Connecticut, authorities reported that water from melting snow had overwhelmed the city’s drains, leaving a dozen intersections flooded. At least one driver was rescued inside his vehicle.
Strong winds reached 95 miles (153 kilometers per hour) in Isle au Haut, Maine, and 83 mph (134 km/h) in Rye, New Hampshire, said Jon Palmer of the weather service in Gray, Maine.
