The Weather Channel By Ron Brackett and Jan Wesner Childs
Tropical Storm Fay Causes Flooding, Power Outages on East Coast
At a Glance
- A police officer was injured in New York City.
- The storm brought heavy rain along the East Coast.
- Flooding closed roads in at least four states.
- President Trump delayed his rally in New Hampshire because of the storm.
Tropical Storm Fay flooded streets, closed roads and knocked down trees Friday in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.
The storm made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, at around 4:45 p.m. EST Friday and was downgraded overnight as it moved over land.
A New York City police officer was injured while helping clear a tree that fell on a cab, WLNY-TV reported. The police officer was taken to the hospital after she was hit by a limb and briefly lost consciousness.
Firefighters helped people out from stranded cars in some areas where streets were covered with water.
(MORE: Fay No Longer a Tropical Storm, But Still a Threat)
Several roads were closed or lanes blocked late Friday afternoon across the region, including a portion of Interstate 295 on the Throgs Neck Bridge in New York City and an eastbound ramp onto Interstate 80 near Ridgefield Park.
A flash flood warning that was in effect for the city expired at 5:30 p.m. EST.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier urged residents to stay vigilant.
“We expect some pretty heavy winds, and we need people to be ready for that, and some flash flooding in certain parts of the city,” de Blasio said during a briefing Friday morning.
Major impacts weren’t expected for the city, but officials urged residents to stay home if possible.
(WATCH: What Colder Water Did to Tropical Storm Fay)
Winds up to 49 mph were reported along the Delaware coast.
Tropical Storm #Fay left Rehoboth Beach, DE with some beach erosion and tidal pools. Nearby Lewes gusted to 49 MPH & Ocean City, MD picked up 5.47" of rain. T.S. warnings remain along the Jersey Shore, NYC and Long Island as @weatherchannel coverage continues until midnight ET pic.twitter.com/DILetnjQsK
— Mike Seidel (@mikeseidel) July 10, 2020
The storm also caused President Donald Trump to cancel a rally he had planned for Saturday in New Hampshire.
The police department in Ocean City, Maryland, reported street flooding in the southern end of town.
Maryland Highway 90 was closed between Old Ocean City Boulevard and U.S. Highway 113 for about half an hour because of flooding, the state Highway Administration said. High water also closed all lanes of Maryland Highway 528 at Somerset Street.
#Flooding in Ocean City MD this morning! This as #TropicalStormFay passes by 50 miles. Photos thanks to Tom Brown#ocmd pic.twitter.com/tkZQioYXX2
— Justin Berk (@JustinWeather) July 10, 2020
A fallen tree briefly blocked U.S. Highway 50 East at state Highway 346.
The Delaware State Police reported a number of road closures, and portions of Route 1 along Delaware’s coast were flooded.
Substantial street flooding also was reported in Bethany Beach, Delaware.
Bethany Beach flooded. Estimate 1-2.5 feet. @DanielJohnsonWx @NWS_MountHolly pic.twitter.com/OXRG2rQd7c
— Logan Giles (@LoganGilesWx) July 10, 2020
The National Weather Service said there was a high risk of rip currents Delaware and New Jersey beaches through Friday evening.
Lifeguards in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach temporarily closed the beaches to swimming, according to delaware online.
In New Jersey, flash flood warnings were issued for Villas and Cape May to Atlantic City.
The George Redding Bridge closed in both directions for more than an hour because of flooding, the Wildwood Police Department reported.
WPVI reported flooded streets in Wildwood, North Wildwood and Sea Isle City. Social media posts showed flooding in Stone Harbor and Avalon
Street flooding this AM from heavy rain (not tidal) #Fay #StoneHarborNJ pic.twitter.com/wtQPn8HauI
— Zeke Orzech (@Zeke_O) July 10, 2020
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden warned people to stay inside and prepare for high winds.
“That high tide is hitting Sandy Hook in Monmouth County around 12:44, about the same time we are going to see the height of the storm here. So, I want everyone to be careful,” Golden told WPVI.
President Trump was scheduled to appear outdoors on the tarmac at Portsmouth International Airport on Saturday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Friday the rally will be delayed by a week or two, Fox News reported.
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