Hurricane Henri on track to hit Northeast; Cuomo declares state of emergency for NYC, Long Island – USA TODAY

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  • This is the most serious hurricane risk in New England in 30 years.
  • Hurricane and storm surge warnings were in effect for portions of Long Island and southern New England.
  • Forecasters said Henri would make landfall at or near hurricane strength on Sunday.

The northeastern U.S. is bracing for its first direct hit from a hurricane in years as Hurricane Henri continued to barrel north Saturday.

The system, which was upgraded to a hurricane with winds of 75 mph as of 8 p.m. Saturday, is forecast to slam into Long Island or southern New England on Sunday at or near hurricane strength, with winds that could approach 80 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for parts of New York, including Long Island, New York City and Hudson Valley. He asked people to take warnings seriously at a Saturday news conference.

Threatening to bring damaging winds, 3 to 6 inches of rain with isolated totals of up to 10 inches and up to 5 feet of storm surge, Henri could be the first significant hurricane to affect the region in years.

“This is the most serious hurricane risk in New England in 30 years, since Hurricane Bob in 1991,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said. Bob was a Category 2 storm that killed at least 17 people.

Hurricane and storm surge warnings were in effect for portions of Long Island and southern New England, the National Hurricane Center said. Over 5 million people live where a hurricane warning is in place, the National Weather Service reported.

“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the Hurricane Center said. 

Tropical storm warnings were also issued for much of southern New England, Long Island and southern New York, including New York City itself.

Henri was centered Saturday afternoon about 290 miles east-northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and about 255 miles south of Montauk Point, New York. It was moving north-northeast at 18 mph.

The weather service warned of the potential for damaging winds and widespread coastal flooding from Henri, and officials in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York cautioned that people could lose power for a week or even longer. 

Authorities urged people to secure their boats, fuel up their vehicles and stock up on canned goods.

Cuomo said he is deploying 500 members of the state’s National Guard and placing swift water rescue teams on standby. He said the state has also deployed 500 national guard members and have 1,000 state police officers on duty in affected areas, as well as FEMA teams.

Cuomo drew ominous parallels between the approaching hurricane and 2012’s catastrophic Superstorm Sandy, which killed more than 100 people and created billions of dollars in damage. In New York City, Sandy flooded streets, tunnels and subway lines and caused power outages throughout the city.

I have declared a State of Emergency in advance of #HurricaneHenri.

500 National Guard Troops have been called up & state assets have been prepositioned for storm response efforts.

NYers in affected areas: Prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and power outages.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 21, 2021

But he said, unlike Sandy, residents have had less notice ahead of Hurricane Henri because of recent changes in the storm’s trajectory.

“So if you have to move, if you have to stock up, if you have to get to higher ground, it has to be today,” he said.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed an emergency declaration Friday ahead of the storm, the governor said at a Saturday news conference.

McKee said residents should prepare for flooding, high winds and rip currents. State beaches and parks will close Sunday and perhaps Monday, he said. He suggested securing homes and boats, gathering supplies like extra food and water, charging electronic devices and preparing flashlights and generators.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday urged people vacationing on the Cape to leave well before Henri hits, and those who planned to start vacations there to delay their plans. “We don’t want people to be stuck in traffic on the Cape Cod bridges when the storm is in full force on Sunday,” he said.

Henri (pronounced ahn-REE) will remain offshore of the mid-Atlantic beaches as it moves northward through Saturday. Beaches from Savannah, Georgia, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, can expect some indirect impacts from the storm, including rough surf and the chance of dangerous rip currents. 

Grace strikes Mexico a second time; at least 8 killed

Hurricane Grace crossed over Mexico’s Gulf shore as a major Category 3 storm early Saturday, drenching small fishing towns and beach resorts as it made its second landfall in the country in two days. At least eight people were confirmed dead, authorities said.

The storm had lost power while crossing over the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, swirling through Mexico’s main tourist strip, but it rapidly drew in power from the relatively warm Gulf of Mexico as it moved toward the country’s mainland.

The Hurricane Center said Grace had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph Saturday when it made landfall about 30 miles south-southeast of Tuxpan. As of 5 p.m., Grace had weakened to a disturbance, heading west 65 miles away from Mexico City at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 25 mph.

The eight dead included children, said Cuitláhuac García, governor of Mexico’s Veracruz state. In addition, at least three were missing after mudslides and flooding. Power is gradually being restored to the 33,000 who lost power in the storm.

Forecasters said Grace would quickly lose strength as it swirled inland over a mountain range carrying its heavy rains toward the heart of the country, including the Mexico City region. Forecasters said it could drop 6 to 12 inches of rain, with more in a few isolated areas – bringing the threat of flash floods, mudslides and urban flooding.

“Although Grace has dissipated, its remnants will likely move into the eastern North Pacific by Sunday afternoon, where it is likely to develop into a new tropical cyclone next week,” the National Weather Service said.

Contributing: The Associated Press