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NYC weather: 11,000+ without power, 750 trees down after Nor’easter pummels Bronx, Queens

Rain, wind and coastal flooding hit New York City Friday, March 3, 2018, leaving thousands of New Yorkers without power.
Rain, wind and coastal flooding hit New York City Friday, March 3, 2018, leaving thousands of New Yorkers without power. Photo Credit: Alex Staniloff

More than 11,000 New Yorkers were left without power and roughly 750 trees across the city were down after a powerful nor’easter brought rain, some snow and strong winds to the city Friday.

The storm also caused some coastal flooding and snarled transportation systems across the area.

Winter storm Riley brought trace amounts of snow and between one to three inches of rain to most areas of the city, with reports of up to five inches coming from Queens, according to the National Weather Service.

The five boroughs have also seen sustained winds between 25 and 40 mph. Gusts topped out at 51 mph near Kennedy Airport around 1 p.m. Friday. 

Strong winds on Friday forced LaGuardia Airport to temporarily suspend arriving and departing flights Friday afternoon, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Kennedy Airport temporarily grounded some flights and more than 40 percent of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were canceled, the Port Authority said. The agency advised travelers to check their flight status with their carriers before heading to the airport on Saturday.

Amtrak restored Northeast Corridor service between Washington, D.C., and New York City with residual delays at 11 a.m. Saturday, after suspending it due to downed trees. Subway service in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn was also intermittently disrupted by downed trees and branches on tracks, according to the MTA.

The nor’easter knocked over about 750 trees across the city, the majority in the Bronx and Queens, according to the mayor’s press secretary, Eric Phillips

Some may have resulted in the power outages Con Edison reported Saturday morning: in the Bronx, approximately 4,400 customers lost power; in Queens, 6,400 customers, in Brooklyn, 150 customers; and in Staten Island, 70 customers.

In addition to fallen trees and power outages, New Yorkers have faced some minor coastal flooding in low areas, the National Weather Service reported. An advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

Areas like Jamaica Bay, New York Harbor and coastal spots in the Bronx that face Long Island Sound are most at risk of flooding, per the NWS.

Windy conditions will probably persist through Saturday night, with gusts of up to 29 mph, but Sunday is expected to be mostly sunny and only breezy, with a high near 42 degrees.