Apr 16, 2007 7:16 pm US/Eastern
Nor'easter: Codey Declares N.J. State Of Emergency
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CBS 2's John Bolaris contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The Nor'easter that has pummeled the Tri-State area has left roadways unpassable, basements flooded, thousands without power and commuters delayed on area rails and airports.
On Monday, acting Governor Richard Codey told CBS 2 that
he is declaring a state of emergency in New Jersey."We have 50 state roads that are unpassable. I'm not sure exactly how many local and county roads are under water," Codey told CBS 2.
"It's a bad situation for state, and we have to attend to it," Codey added.
"This is the worst situation since 1882," he said. "It's going to take us quite a while to recover from this storm."
More than 500 flights were cancelled at area airports because of the storm. Some 10,000 people lost power, and the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North reported
major delays.
The Long Island Rail Road reports that says there are 30 to 40 minute delays on trains into Penn Station. Metro North says service is suspended on the Danbury line and there are 45-minute delays on the Harlem line.
The late-season Nor'easter that has besieged our area with relentless rain is almost over, but not before making a serious run at the record books.
As of 7:15 a.m. Monday, the storm had dropped more than eight inches of rain on New York City. The deluge marks the heaviest rainfall from any one storm to hit the city in three decades.
Rainfall totals as of 7:15 a.m.: Central Park: 8 inches
Newark: 7.38 inches
LaGuardia: 6.91 inches
Teterboro: 7.06
White Plains: 6.34
Islip: 1.6
"The heaviest rain tapered off overnight, however, river flood warnings throughout the Tri-State region will continue through Monday," said CBS 2 meteorologist John Elliott.
"Record rain amounts fell across the entire Tri-State region on Sunday," added CBS 2 meteorologist John Bolaris, adding Sunday was the "fourth wettest day of all time, and had the heaviest rainfall in 30 years."
The Storm itself is currently centered over our region providing a few dry spots across the area. It has the characteristics of a tropical storm. Therefore the center remains mainly dry with light winds. The heaviest rain has come to an end but we can't rule out additional showers that could be heavy at times. Winds are sustained between 10-25 mph and are gusting to over 40 mph in some locals across parts of New Jersey and other coastal sections away from the center of the storm.
Expect the storm to drift slowly east and than actually move back over the city before it starts to exit slowly tonight into Tuesday. The word exit might be deceiving because the storm will then park itself roughly 100 miles off the coast of New England spawning off a few showers and breezy cloudy conditions through Thursday.
WEATHER |
TRAFFIC |
TRANSIT/TRAVEL CLOSINGS & DELAYSThis storm, as expected, has been just as potent as a tropical storm, with sustained winds over 40 mph and gusts up to 70, especially over eastern Long Island. It has caused a laundry list of problems for the area, including power outages, beach erosion, flash flooding and coastal flooding.
The good news is the storm will slowly move away over the next two days, with unsettled conditions through Tuesday, including sporadic showers and gusty winds from time to time.
With beach season a little less than seven weeks away, significant beach erosion is taking place, but the full extent will not be known until the daylight hours.
If the system tracks farther off the coast, wet snow is still possible in points north and west of the city, but for the most part, the worst is behind us.
"It is imperative that the public be aware of the potential problems associated with this storm and plan accordingly," New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said over the weekend.
Added CBS 2 severe storm expert Lonnie Quinn: "It's a cold-core storm, unusual for this time of April. Normally, we're finished with this sort of thing by the end of March. Not only is this a late-season Nor'easter, it'll be a very significant one at that."
Cool weather will prevail for the rest of the week, but next week should be considerably more pleasant.
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