Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Blockbuster Nor’easter Develops Hurricane-Like Eye, Threatening US Coast
A very strong winter storm called a nor’easter is moving near the United States.
It has a clear center, or eye, that looks like the center of a hurricane.
However, weather officials are not calling it a hurricane or a named tropical cyclone.
The storm could bring heavy rain, powerful winds and dangerous ocean waves.
Parts of New England may receive four to eight inches of rain.
Water from the ocean could move more than three feet inland in some coastal areas.
Strong winds could knock down trees, damage property and cause power outages.
People near the coast also face flooding, beach erosion and dangerous rip currents.
A powerful nor’easter off the Atlantic coast has developed a clear, hurricane-like eye.
Millions along the East Coast face risks from heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding.
New England could receive four to eight inches of rain, with the greatest impacts expected there.
Wind gusts may reach 128 kmph, potentially causing property damage, power outages and falling trees.
Coastal flooding warnings cover parts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
- Who
- Millions of people along the US East Coast, along with residents in affected coastal states, are at risk.
- What
- A major nor’easter with a hurricane-like eye is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, coastal flooding and beach erosion.
- When
- The storm is expected to worsen Friday and affect the region from Friday through Sunday.
- Where
- The storm is offshore in the Atlantic, with impacts expected from Virginia through Maine, especially across New England.
- Why
- The storm’s close approach to the shoreline could produce stronger winds, heavier rain, flooding and falling trees.
Hurricane-Like Storm
Not a Hurricane
Storm classification
Hurricane-Like Storm
Meteorologists described the nor’easter as having a hurricane-like structure and an eye, with possible winds similar to those of a Category 1 hurricane.
Not a Hurricane
The National Hurricane Center is not classifying it as a named tropical cyclone, so its hurricane-like appearance does not make it an actual hurricane.
Expected danger
Hurricane-Like Storm
The storm could produce destructive coastal flooding, severe beach erosion, property damage, power outages and falling trees.
Not a Hurricane
Its strongest gusts are expected to remain offshore, although coastal flooding and power outages remain concerns.
- Storm type
- A major nor’easter, not a named tropical cyclone
- Rainfall
- Four to eight inches are expected across parts of New England
- Peak wind potential
- Some gusts could reach 128 kmph, comparable to Category 1 hurricane winds
- Flooding threat
- More than three feet of seawater could move inland in some areas
- Timing
- The storm is expected to intensify Friday and continue affecting the region through Sunday
- Most affected region
- New England, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and southern Maine
- Other hazards
- Power outages, falling trees, property damage, rip currents and severe beach erosion