The storm is expected to strengthen heading into the weekend.
Tropical Storm Henri is expected to become a hurricane on Saturday as it accelerates up the East Coast toward southern New England.
Henri is predicted to make landfall on Long Island, near Ronkonkoma, and then a second landfall along the Connecticut coast near Bridgeport on Sunday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds nearing 75 mph.
Hurricane conditions could begin as early as late Saturday on Long Island and portions of Connecticut.
Since the coastal Northeast is very close to the sea level, these areas are prone to flooding amid storm surge, which could reach as high as 4 feet in Queens and Long Island, as well as coastal Connecticut. In Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts, the storm surge could reach 5 feet.
Dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy rainfall is anticipated throughout the day and night on Sunday in Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
Rainfall could reach 10 inches and cause flooding in portions of Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
From Newport, Rhode Island, to Montauk, New York, wind gusts are forecast to reach up to 80 mph, and they may reach 60 mph in other coastal areas.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Suffolk County on Long Island and much of coastal Connecticut, which are forecast to get hit the hardest with wind and storm surge since they are near landfall and just to the east of the storm’s center.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the New Jersey shore, New York City, Long Island’s Nassau County and New York’s Westchester County, just north of the city. Also, a tropical storm warning was issued for all of coastal Rhode Island and parts of southern Massachusetts, including Newport, Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard.
It’s the first time in nearly 10 years that parts of New York have been issued a hurricane watch, according to the National Weather Service, which also noted that if Henri lands in New England as a hurricane, it’ll be the first direct hurricane landfall since 1991.
Fred, a tropical depression that passed by earlier this week, caused major flooding in parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, areas that could see another 6 to 8 inches of rain from Henri.
