The first Nor'easter storm hit the eastern part of the country early Tuesday and caused numerous power outages. In New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul declared an emergency situation and asked people to avoid traveling on Tuesday:
With a Nor'easter on the way, I am declaring a State of Emergency beginning at 8pm tonight.
We pre-set emergency personnel to prepare for this storm, are in constant contact with local officials, & have activated the @NationalGuardNY to assist with emergency response.— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) March 13, 2023
The governor also warned that the storm will bring heavy snowfall and strong gusts of wind. Jackie Bray, commissioner of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services said:
The forecasted snow totals for this winter storm keep increasing, and the weight of the snow combined with 45 mph wind gusts will almost certainly bring down tree branches and power lines. New Yorkers should plan for two to three days straight of hazardous winter weather starting tonight. Only travel if absolutely necessary, and keep your phones and other devices charged in case you need to call for assistance during a power outage.
The National Weather Service also warned of bad weather conditions. Between 6-18 inches of snow is expected between northwestern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey before reaching New York and New England. The Nation Weather Service said:
Heavy Snow Continues this morning...
Snowfall rates of 1-2" per hour continue across the area. Please use extreme caution if venturing outside. Reports of 1 to 1.5 feet have been received thus far across the eastern Catskills, Berkshires and the southern Green Mountains. pic.twitter.com/kkMTJxwGbj— NWS Albany (@NWSAlbany) March 14, 2023
Power outages and flight cancellations due to 'Nor'easter'
The storm caused power outages in several states in the eastern part of the country. According to PowerOutage.us at 11:30 AM (EST), the state of New York reported that 90,734 customers were without power. Massachusetts and New Hampshire reported that 68,560 and 67,656 people respectively were experiencing outages.
Flights were also affected. The website FlightAware reported that a total of 896 flights to or from the country were canceled on Tuesday. The two most affected airports were Boston International Airport with 290 canceled flights and LaGuardia Airport in New York with 232 interrupted flights.
The storm also caused school closures. According to FOX News, several schools in the area announced that they were canceling classes. In addition, the governors of Maine, Connecticut and Massachusetts ordered the closure of state buildings and urged their workers to work from home this Tuesday.
