Hurricane Henri is marching toward the Northeast coast ahead of an anticipated Sunday landfall, threatening to bring damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and flooding to an already saturated area.Henri, which strengthened from a tropical storm late Saturday morning over the Atlantic, could make landfall at or near hurricane strength on New York's Long Island or southern New England on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.Strong wind and rain will likely smack a broad area from New York City into New England -- and since the area is saturated from recent rain, Henri could easily down trees and set up days of power outages.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned people in flood-prone areas: Move to safety now."If you know you are in an area that tends to flood ... get out of that area now, please," Cuomo said in a televised news briefing Saturday. "If you have to get to higher ground it has to be today."Cuomo declared a State of Emergency ahead of the storm. Significant damage is possible in this already-soaked region even if Henri is not a hurricane at landfall, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell said."We're going to see power outages, we're going to see downed trees, and even after the storm has passed, the threat of falling trees and limbs is still out there," Criswell told CNN Saturday morning.Henri's center had sustained winds of 75 mph late Saturday afternoon. Hurricane conditions and heavy rain could start in some of these areas late Saturday.A hurricane landfall in this region would be somewhat rare. Long Island has not had a direct hurricane hit since Gloria in 1985; New England last saw a hurricane landfall with Hurricane Bob in 1991.Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey in 2012 with hurricane force winds and devastated swaths of the Northeast, though it technically was a post-tropical cyclone when it came ashore. Henri's wind field at landfall is expected to be a quarter of the size, CNN meteorologists said.Long Island restaurateur: 'We have some big concerns'With Henri, storm surges also are a major concern: Surges between 3 and 5 feet are possible Sunday in areas including parts of Long Island to Chatham, Massachusetts, the hurricane center said.People living in an area under storm surge warnings "should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions," the hurricane center said Saturday morning.On Long Island's East End, Christine Oakland-Hill said road flooding was just one of her concerns for her shoreside business, Oakland's Restaurant and Marina, which has been there 30 years."God forbid this is head on," Oakland-Hill told CNN affiliate WCBS on Friday. "We have some big concerns. This (business) is our legacy."Doreen Puco was running errands at Long Island's Oyster Bay to prepare for the storm."I'm afraid of losing my power," Puco told WCBS Friday. "I just hope they're better prepared than they have been in the past." New York has heavy equipment deployed on Long Island and water-rescue teams ready to go, Cuomo said.New York City Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for the city until further notice. All beaches in the city will close Sunday and Monday, according to city officials. Swimming and wading will not be permitted during those days.Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee urged residents to prepare for the storm and announced he has signed an emergency declaration to unlock federal resources to support storm response.The governor urged residents to use caution along shoreline areas due to anticipated rip currents and high surf."Rhode Island has often experienced needless tragedy during storms when wave watchers and anglers who have climbed onto rocks near the shore get hit by waves and quickly swept out to deep water and drowned," he said.State beaches and parks will be open Saturday, according to the governor, but closed Sunday and likely Monday, depending on storm damage and required clean up.
Hurricane Henri is marching toward the Northeast coast ahead of an anticipated Sunday landfall, threatening to bring damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and flooding to an already saturated area.
Henri, which strengthened from a tropical storm late Saturday morning over the Atlantic, could make landfall at or near hurricane strength on New York's Long Island or southern New England on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Strong wind and rain will likely smack a broad area from New York City into New England -- and since the area is saturated from recent rain, Henri could easily down trees and set up days of power outages.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned people in flood-prone areas: Move to safety now.
"If you know you are in an area that tends to flood ... get out of that area now, please," Cuomo said in a televised news briefing Saturday. "If you have to get to higher ground it has to be today."
Cuomo declared a State of Emergency ahead of the storm.
Significant damage is possible in this already-soaked region even if Henri is not a hurricane at landfall, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell said.
"We're going to see power outages, we're going to see downed trees, and even after the storm has passed, the threat of falling trees and limbs is still out there," Criswell told CNN Saturday morning.
Henri's center had sustained winds of 75 mph late Saturday afternoon. Hurricane conditions and heavy rain could start in some of these areas late Saturday.
A hurricane landfall in this region would be somewhat rare. Long Island has not had a direct hurricane hit since Gloria in 1985; New England last saw a hurricane landfall with Hurricane Bob in 1991.
Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey in 2012 with hurricane force winds and devastated swaths of the Northeast, though it technically was a post-tropical cyclone when it came ashore. Henri's wind field at landfall is expected to be a quarter of the size, CNN meteorologists said.
Long Island restaurateur: 'We have some big concerns'
With Henri, storm surges also are a major concern: Surges between 3 and 5 feet are possible Sunday in areas including parts of Long Island to Chatham, Massachusetts, the hurricane center said.
People living in an area under storm surge warnings "should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions," the hurricane center said Saturday morning.
On Long Island's East End, Christine Oakland-Hill said road flooding was just one of her concerns for her shoreside business, Oakland's Restaurant and Marina, which has been there 30 years.
"God forbid this is head on," Oakland-Hill told CNN affiliate WCBS on Friday. "We have some big concerns. This (business) is our legacy."
Doreen Puco was running errands at Long Island's Oyster Bay to prepare for the storm.
"I'm afraid of losing my power," Puco told WCBS Friday. "I just hope they're better prepared than they have been in the past."
New York has heavy equipment deployed on Long Island and water-rescue teams ready to go, Cuomo said.
New York City Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for the city until further notice. All beaches in the city will close Sunday and Monday, according to city officials. Swimming and wading will not be permitted during those days.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee urged residents to prepare for the storm and announced he has signed an emergency declaration to unlock federal resources to support storm response.
The governor urged residents to use caution along shoreline areas due to anticipated rip currents and high surf.
"Rhode Island has often experienced needless tragedy during storms when wave watchers and anglers who have climbed onto rocks near the shore get hit by waves and quickly swept out to deep water and drowned," he said.
State beaches and parks will be open Saturday, according to the governor, but closed Sunday and likely Monday, depending on storm damage and required clean up.
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