Nor'easter to Terrorize NY, Conn., But Miss Parts of NJ
Nor'easter, the storm anticipated to hit the east coast this week, could cause even more damage in New York and Connecticut while the states still struggle to recover from Hurricane Sandy. However, the new storm, which promises 25-70 mph winds, rain, and snow, may miss New Jersey, which bore the brunt of the last storm.
The Nor'easter originated in the Gulf of Mexico, and meteorologists spotted the storm traveling steadily up the East Coast earlier this week. Some experts predict that it will hit areas that Sandy already did, causing additional damage in flooding.
"It's going to impact many areas that were devastated by Sandy," Bruce Terry, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service, told the Associated Press. "It will not be good."
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Even worse, the difference with this storm is the temperature, winds, and rains. Sandy brought fast winds that knocked down trees and homes, but the nor'easter can bring "ice storms," according to experts.
"We may have a second round of outages, because a nor'easter can bring heavy rain, strong wind and an ice storm," Lamine Mili, and Virginia Tech professor who has consulted for FEMA, told the Huffington Post. "That can again affect both the overhead lines and the underground substations."
There is a silver lining to this storm though: recent reports have shown that the nor'easter has weakened a bit and veered away from the coast, so large parts of New Jersey will be less affected. 50 mph gusts may still come, according to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, but the storm surge will be only 3 feet – a third of Hurricane Sandy's – and the Jersey Shore could be largely safe.
Even Mayor Bloomberg, who previously ordered mandatory evacuations, chose not to because of the news of the weakened storm.
"In this case, we don't think [the nor'easter] merits [evacuation]. In this case, we don't think that it merits that," the New York City mayor told reporters. "It is a different kind of storm; the wind is coming from a different direction."
Residents without power from Sandy were told to head to shelters, though. In addition, some residents in the Rockaways were evacuated today, according to ABC News.
Still, the American Red Cross and other organizations are gearing up to send aid. Even though the storm will not be as severe as originally expected, it could add to the damage already caused by Sandy, and relief will be needed.
"We are sending in an additional 80,000 blankets and bringing food and relief supplies to the hardest hit areas," Charley Shimansku, Senior Vice President of Disaster Services for the Red Cross, told Fox News.
