A potent autumn nor’easter churned up the East Coast this week, driving days of gusty onshore winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain from the Carolinas to New England. New York’s governor declared a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, and tens of thousands of customers lost power across New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York as winds peaked.

Fall Storm Season Arrives

Nor’easters are the Atlantic coast’s cold-season counterpart to hurricanes, and they can grind away at the grid for days rather than hours. Repeated rounds of high tide flooding closed roads in coastal communities, trapping some residents, while saturated ground let trees topple into lines well inland.

Preparing for Possible Impacts

• Inspect your standby generator and ensure it is ready to activate automatically if power is lost.
• Run a test cycle to confirm your system starts and transfers power properly.
• Plan for fuel supply and make sure natural gas or propane systems are fully connected and serviced.
• Consider an upgrade. Whole-home backup solutions from Generac and Kohler deliver seamless power protection during prolonged outages.

Stay Informed

Nor’easter season is just beginning, and hurricane season has weeks left to run. Keep watching National Weather Service forecasts as the patterns overlap this fall.