Storm hits East Coast Friday night

Thousands lost power on the U.S. East Coast on Friday night as roads flooded in coastal New Jersey communities. A powerful nor'easter is expected to create dangerous conditions through the weekend.

Water inundates New Jersey homes

In the coastal borough of Surf City, water with waves rippling along its surface flooded streets and inundated some homes. About thirty four miles up the coast in Manasquan, roads were also flooding.

Sea Bright braces for severe flooding

Brian Kelly, mayor of Sea Bright, said the borough is bracing for winds up to fifty miles per hour and flooding that could reach up to six feet on some streets. Officials expect flooding to start Saturday and worsen by midday.

Mayor compares storm to Hurricane Irene

Kelly said he expects this flooding to be worse than average. He compared it to the two thousand eleven Hurricane Irene, which caused major flooding in the Northeast, saying it could be an Irene-scale flooding event.

“It's going to be worse than average. We do have probably one or two flooding events a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I think this one will be closer to an Irene-scale flooding event.”

Damaging winds threaten coastal New England

Peak wind gusts could approach sixty to sixty five miles per hour on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday. Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norton, Massachusetts, said impacts will be worse closer to the coast.

Leaves on trees increase storm damage risk

Belk said nor'easters are not unusual as New England moves into fall, but one concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on trees, creating more wind resistance and increasing the risk of downed limbs and power outages.

Hundreds of flights canceled

More than two hundred flights to and from airports in Boston, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and New York were canceled Friday, with more cancellations already in place for Saturday. Several airlines waived change and cancellation fees for East Coast flights through the weekend.

Sports and concerts disrupted

The Red Sox moved their Sunday afternoon game against the Chicago Cubs to Friday to create a split doubleheader. Ed Sheeran canceled his Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts due to the storm.

Ferry services suspended across region

The public ferry service connecting Cape Cod with Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard experienced widespread cancellations Friday due to strong winds and choppy water. Ferries to Block Island in Rhode Island were also canceled, with disruptions expected to continue into Saturday.