Nor’easter Kills One, Floods NY and New Jersey

A powerful nor’easter that swept the northeastern United States over the weekend has killed at least one person, flooded coastal towns, knocked out power to more than 100,000 homes and upended travel and entertainment plans across the region.

The storm brought “dangerous coastal flooding and beach conditions, strong winds and heavy rainfall” from Virginia to Maine, the US National Weather Service said, with New York City and Boston among the worst hit. States of emergency were declared in New York and New Jersey.

In East New York, Brooklyn, 56‑year‑old Leighton Brown, an employee of the New York City Housing Authority, was killed on Saturday afternoon when a tree fell on him as he walked through a parking lot near a NYCHA complex on Euclid Avenue, working an extra shift. He was pronounced dead at hospital. “We mourn deeply for the loss of Leighton Brown… known for his warm personality,” the city’s Public Advocate said. A man reported missing after swimming off Fire Island was later found unharmed.

Power cuts peaked at roughly 136,000 customers across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Sunday morning, falling to about 82,000 by late afternoon as crews worked, according to PowerOutage.us; some outlets reported higher figures earlier in the event. Monmouth County, New Jersey, and Suffolk County on Long Island were worst hit. More than 2,400 flights were delayed and about 1,200 cancelled on Saturday, per FlightAware.

An unusually high full‑moon tide pushed seawater through Surf City and Manasquan in New Jersey, submerging streets and homes. New York officials warned of gusts up to 55mph (86km/h). Mayor Zohran Mamdani told residents: “Don’t travel if you don’t have to… Do not drive or walk through floodwater.” FEMA said its regional coordination centres were at an “enhanced posture.”

The storm also emptied stadiums and stages: the Red Sox–Cubs game moved to Florida, Red Bull New York’s match against St Louis City SC was cancelled, the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park — set to feature Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and John Legend — was called off, and Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium concert near Boston was scrapped for safety reasons. Forecasters expected the system to ease on Sunday and drift away by late Monday.