Coastal evacuations urged as Henri looms
People evacuated popular beach communities and made last-minute runs on batteries and gasoline as Hurricane Henri churned closer to Long Island and southern New England, while officials pleaded with the millions of people in the storm’s path to brace themselves for torrential rain and storm surges.
Hurricane Henri was on course to collide Sunday in the late morning or afternoon with a long stretch of coastline, as hurricane warnings extended from near the old whaling port of New Bedford, Mass., across the luxurious oceanfront estates of New York’s Hamptons, to the summer getaway of Fire Island.
Intense winds and potentially dangerous tidal surges were expected as far east as Cape Cod and as far west as the New Jersey shore, and utilities warned ensuing power outages could last a week or even more. Governors urged people to stay home during the brunt of the storm.
Henri was veering a bit further west than originally expected, placing eastern Long Island in its bull’s-eye rather than New England. That gave people directly in the storm’s path less time to prepare.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for some residents closest to the water in Madison, Conn.. First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons wrote in a public notice, that any “residents who do not leave the evacuation zone by 9 p.m. tonight are putting their lives at risk and public safety crews will not be able to respond to you once winds exceed 50 mph.”
Residents and visitors on Fire Island, a narrow strip of sandy villages barely above sea level off Long Island’s southern coast, were urged to evacuate. The last boats out would leave at 10:40 p.m. Saturday; after that, officials said, there may be no way out for people who decide to ride out the storm.
Approaching severe weather on Saturday night prompted the evacuation of Manhattan’s Central Park during a superstar-laden concert headlined by Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson that was meant to celebrate New York City’s recovery from the coronavirus.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleaded with New York residents to make last-minute preparations, warning that heavy rain, winds and storm surges from Henri could be as devastating as 2012’s Superstorm Sandy in parts of the state.
“We have short notice. We’re talking about tomorrow,” Cuomo said. “So if you have to move, if you have to stock up, if you have to get to higher ground, it has to be today. Please.”
Gov. Ned Lamont warned Connecticut residents they should prepare to “shelter in place” from Sunday afternoon through at least Monday morning as the state braces for the first possible direct hit from a hurricane in decades. In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee similarly urged state residents stay at home Sunday and into Monday morning.
The White House said President Joe Biden
began approving emergency declarations with Rhode Island.
With a top wind speed of 75 mph Saturday, Henri sped up to move north-northeast at 18 mph as of Saturday evening. It was still about 335 miles south of Montauk Point on Long Island.
Storm surge between 3 and 5 feet is possible from Flushing, N.Y., to Chatham, Mass., and for parts of the North Shore and South Shore of Long Island, the hurricane center said.
Rainfall between 3 to 6 inches is expected Sunday through Monday.