A powerful, slow-moving nor'easter continued to batter parts of New York on Sunday, bringing damaging winds, additional heavy rain, coastal flooding and widespread power outages after the storm turned deadly and toppled trees across the state.
Based on reports Sunday morning, a 56-year-old man was struck and killed by a falling tree in Brooklyn during the storm.
The New York City Housing Authority later confirmed he was an employee, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani identified him as Leighton Brown. Reports described it as the first confirmed fatality linked to the nor'easter.
The storm's strongest impacts have been concentrated on Long Island, in New York City and across parts of the lower Hudson Valley, where flooding, downed trees and scattered power outages continued Sunday morning.
Gov. Kathy Hochul's state of emergency remains in effect for New York City, Long Island and Westchester County as emergency crews respond to flooding, power outages and storm damage.
Coastal flooding remains a major concern
The National Weather Service warned that moderate to locally major coastal flooding could continue through Sunday's high-tide cycles, especially along vulnerable shorelines in New York City and Long Island.
The greatest flooding risk remains along the southern shores of Queens, Nassau County and southwestern Suffolk County, where roads near the waterfront could become impassable and low-lying properties could take on water.
Along portions of Brooklyn and southern Queens, floodwaters may rise 2 to 2½ feet above ground level in vulnerable shoreline areas. Large waves and beach erosion are also expected along Atlantic-facing beaches.
Officials continue to urge residents to stay off beaches and out of the water because of dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents.
More rain expected through Monday
Bands of rain continued moving across southeastern New York on Sunday morning.
Forecasters said another 1 to 3 inches of rain could fall through Sunday night, with locally higher amounts possible. Long Island and portions of New York City could see storm-total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches by the time the system departs.
The additional rainfall may lead to flooding in urban areas, locations with poor drainage and along smaller streams. Isolated flash flooding remains possible where heavier rain bands persist.
The storm is expected to linger into Monday before gradually moving away, allowing conditions to improve early next week.
Strong winds bring tree damage and power outages
Strong northeast winds continued across the region Sunday, with gusts of 45 to 55 mph common in the hardest-hit areas and isolated gusts approaching 60 mph on eastern Long Island.
The combination of saturated ground and strong winds has led to numerous downed trees and branches, damaged utility lines and blocked roadways.
State officials reported more than 28,000 power outages Saturday, including more than 12,000 in Suffolk County and more than 8,000 in Nassau County.
∎ See the latest outages from nor'easter.
Utility crews have been working around the clock to restore service, and officials warned additional outages remain possible.
Damage reports Sunday included fallen trees on homes, vehicles and power lines across Long Island, as well as flooding in coastal communities and parts of the Hudson Valley.
More than 5,800 utility workers have been deployed statewide to support restoration efforts.
State of emergency remains in effect
Hochul urged New Yorkers to monitor weather alerts and avoid unnecessary travel in flood-prone areas.
Residents are advised to stay away from downed power lines, secure outdoor objects and avoid driving through flooded roadways. Drivers encountering dark traffic signals should treat intersections as four-way stops.
Emergency officials also recommend charging mobile devices and preparing for the possibility of extended power outages as cleanup and restoration efforts continue.
The nor'easter is expected to remain a threat through Monday before gradually weakening and moving away from the Northeast.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New York nor'easter turns deadly as flooding, power outages continue
