Storm Henri made landfall on the coasts of the northeastern United States on Sunday, August 22 at midday, the American meteorological services announced, while the authorities are increasing the calls for caution, especially in the face of the risk of flooding and power cuts.
Henri hit the US coasts at the state of Rhode Island at 12:15 p.m. local time (6:15 p.m. KST), according to the National Weather Service, the United States Weather Service. Earlier in the morning, a bulletin from the U.S. Hurricane Monitoring Center, NHC, said the storm was blowing with winds of up to 95 km / h. Henri, who had been demoted from hurricane to tropical storm by the NHC, is expected to move less quickly in the next few hours, the bulletin said, before specifying that the storm could “Stagnate near the border between the states of New York and Connecticut tonight”.
Tropical Storm Henri makes landfall along the coast of Rhode Island, the National Hurricane Center says, with winds… https://t.co/Rppv1Ezokc
— cnnbrk (@CNN Breaking News)
Climate crisis
The northeastern United States is usually relatively untouched by such storms, which normally affect more southerly states, such as Florida or Louisiana. As the surface of the oceans warms, hurricanes become more powerful, scientists say. In particular, they pose an increasingly significant risk to coastal communities that are victims of wave-submersion phenomena, amplified by rising sea levels.
Despite the passage from hurricane to tropical storm, Henri remains a source of danger, according to the authorities. “There is still cause for concern. We are not out of danger ”New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters on Sunday morning. From 7 to 15 centimeters of precipitation is expected across the region, and up to 25 centimeters in places, according to the NHC, while the deterioration of the weather conditions had already pushed Saturday to the stop of the big concert organized in Central Park for mark them “Reunion” artists with New York audiences.
“Dangerous rise in coastal waters, strong gusts of wind and precipitation with the potential to cause flooding are expected in parts of the northeastern United States.”, warned the NHC. On Long Island, near New York, the roads were deserted Sunday as residents prepared at home for the storm.
Potential power cuts
The mayor of Boston, the largest city in the state of Massachusetts, on Sunday morning asked residents to prepare for such “Destructive winds”, and to “Potential power cuts”. “Please stay inside”, argued Kim Janey at a press conference.
In Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker asked “Everyone to avoid unnecessary travel”, especially in coastal areas. In this state, where all beaches and parks will be closed between Saturday and Monday, the hurricane could cause power cuts affecting 100,000 to 300,000 inhabitants, announced the services of the governor.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the storm approached, adding that 500 National Guard soldiers had been mobilized to support efforts to respond to the storm. storm. “Prepare for heavy rains, strong winds, and power cuts”, had also launched the elected to residents of potentially affected areas.
The deterioration of the weather conditions on Saturday evening prompted the stop of the big concert organized in Central Park to mark the “Reunion” artists with New York audiences. The singer Barry Manilow was thus interrupted in the middle of a song by a voice asking the spectators to evacuate the place quickly but calmly. The cultural and economic capital of the country still has in mind the painful memory of Hurricane Sandy, which killed 44 people in the city in 2012.
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