Massive floods, blackouts and misery: Henri strikes the coast and beyond


The northeast coast of the United States was rocked last night by Tropical storm Henri. The first reports show that at least 140,000 households in several American states are without power. There was also a record amount of rain.

The storm landed in the U.S. State of Rhode Island, but the effects of Henri are also felt in the states of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.

A hurricane was expected, but as Henri moved closer to the American coast, it weakened to a tropical storm. However, as a result of the storm, at least 140,000 households were without electricity.

In New York, Central Park fell almost two inches of water in one hour. Never before has there been so much rain in the area in such a short time. Motorists got stuck because of flooded streets.

On Sunday evening (zulu time) Tropical storm Henri also arrived in Rhode Island. There and in many other northeastern American states, including New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, strong winds and heavy rain lead to flooding and power outages. A thousand flights in the area have been cancelled due to the storm. In New York, several subway tunnels were flooded. The train connection between New York and Boston was shut down.

At least 125,000 houses and businesses would be without electricity by now. The hardest hit for the time being is Rhode Island, where about 72,000 houses have no power. There are 30,000 homes in Connecticut and 10,000 in Massachusetts.

Authorities in Tennessee declared a state of emergency earlier in the day and called in the National Guard. In many places in the state, 30 centimeters of rain fell in a short time. Many rivers crossed their banks in four districts west of the city of Nashville.

Henri started as a hurricane, but was scaled down to a tropical storm during Sunday with winds of up to 110 km / h. American president Joe Biden called on citizens to remain cautious on Sunday, despite the slightly weaker wind.

President Biden called on the population on the northeast coast to be vigilant and prepare for possible floods.

Leave a Reply
