Nor’easter Hammers East Coast: 62 MPH Gusts Blast Nantucket, High Winds Hit Bethany Beach

Folks in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are waking up this morning to a power nor’easter with damaging winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain. 

Coastal wind gusts reached 62 mph on Nantucket, 58 mph in Bethany Beach, Delaware, and 55 mph in Chatham, Massachusetts, according to local weather data. New York’s JFK Airport recorded a 53 mph gust. Winds are expected to continue through Sunday. 

“Powerful nor’easter bringing major coastal flooding & damaging winds to the East Coast,” NWS Weather Prediction Center wrote on X around lunchtime in New York, adding, “Roads are underwater at the Jersey Shore & gusts hit 64 mph on Nantucket. More flooding likely at high tides tonight & Sun. Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

Powerful #noreaster bringing major coastal flooding & damaging winds to the East Coast. Roads are underwater at the Jersey Shore & gusts hit 64 mph on Nantucket. More flooding likely at high tides tonight & Sun. Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Reports so far: https://t.co/9LGn1JoXUA pic.twitter.com/L84ZYVj3Rh

— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) September 26, 2026

Private weather forecasting firm NY NJ PA Weather provided a detailed map of the impacts for the Northeast through the weekend:

A nor’easter will impact the region this morning through Monday evening. Rain has developed along the coast. Rainfall will become widespread by 2 PM this afternoon and begin pushing inland through the evening. Meanwhile, winds will increase from the Northeast to 15 to 30 mph.

The worst conditions will be tomorrow morning, with torrential downpours, wind gusts up to 70 mph on the immediate coast, and visibility below a mile, producing poor travel conditions, power outages, flash flooding, and coastal flooding. Conditions will gradually improve from tomorrow afternoon through Monday afternoon as the storm weakens while lifting towards southern New England.

ZONE 1: Rain 2″ -4″, Winds 15-30 mph with gusts over 50 mph, high coastal flooding threat.

ZONE 2: Rain 1″ -2″, Winds 15-30 mph with gusts over 40 mph, high urban/river flooding threat.

ZONE 3: Rain 0.” – 1″, Winds 15-30 mph with gusts over 30 mph

ZONE 4: Rain 0.10″-0.50″, Winds 10-20 mph with gusts under 30 mph

According to the utility tracking website PowerOutage.us, more than 90,000 customers across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania are without power.

Footage:

Flooding again north of Bethany Beach, Delaware on our YouTube Live feed https://t.co/JGDokZlRE0 pic.twitter.com/LjhRUzm2eT

— Jesse Ferrell (@WeatherMatrix) September 26, 2026

Tough situation in Ocean City, Nj. pic.twitter.com/NK8X4VBDtg

— WeatherWatcher (@WeatherWatchin) September 26, 2026

When the Ocean meets the bay in Atlantic City and high tide is still an hour away. When mother nature speaks we have no choice but to listen. 🌊🙌🇺🇸 #AtlanticCityNJ pic.twitter.com/3yoGmDO8BV

— TheMastiffMafia (@mafia_mastiff) September 26, 2026

Crews have rescued several people by boat and high water trucks in Sea Bright, New Jersey. Ocean Avenue has been inundated by coastal flooding from the Shrewsbury River. #njwx #noreaster pic.twitter.com/T4BvqAxQYD

— Bill Wadell (@BillWadell) September 26, 2026

The good news is that no hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic so far this year, with a strengthening El Niño helping suppress hurricane development by increasing wind shear, which makes it harder for storms to organize and intensify.