Powerful Nor’easter Knocks Out Power and Grounds Flights in Northeast US

A powerful nor’easter batters the northeastern United States on September 26, 2026, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses, grounding hundreds of flights, and flooding coastal communities from New Jersey to New York.

States of Emergency and Travel Disarray

By Saturday afternoon local time, power outages affected more than 88,000 homes and businesses, down from a high of 119,000 earlier in the day. Separately, figures on Saturday indicated that more than 70,000 customers were without electricity.

Airlines scrambled to adjust as data from the flight tracker FlightAware showed about 425 flights cancelled and 1,338 delayed so far on Saturday. Airlines were offering fee waivers on some East Coast flights.

Nor’easter Hits New Jersey With Severe Flooding and Power Outages

Entertainment schedules also crumbled; musician Ed Sheeran cancelled his scheduled shows in the state of Massachusetts on Friday and Saturday, specifically his performances at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, because of the storm.

Coastal Inundation and Dangerous Surges

National Weather Service forecasters warned of major coastal flooding along the Mid-Atlantic, particularly in parts of New Jersey and Delaware, noting that the system would drive major coastal flooding over multiple high-tide cycles through the weekend. In Surf City, New Jersey, floodwater and waves spilled onto streets and into some homes.

Rare September Nor’easter to Bring Rain, Wind to East Coast

Authorities had earlier issued a voluntary evacuation order for some low-lying areas. Officials in Sea Bright were also preparing for severe conditions.

Down the coast, Jay Boyd, a resident of Ocean City, Maryland, told The Associated Press news agency, In all the canals, the water is up really high and coming into people’s back yards.

Rare September Nor’easter Forecast to Bring Heavy Flooding to East Coast

Wind Speeds and Foliage Vulnerability

The meteorological footprint of the nor’easter extended well inland, packing severe winds.

Photo: english.mathrubhumi.com

The foliage can create greater resistance to strong winds, making branches more vulnerable to breaking.

Forecaster Warnings on Seasonal Timing

Oravec noted that nor’easters are not unusual as the region of New England enters the autumn season, but added that this might be a little earlier than average for a big storm.