More than 40 million people across the northeastern United States braced Friday for heavy rain, damaging winds and coastal flooding as an unusually powerful nor'easter approached the region.
New York, Boston and Philadelphia were among the major cities in the storm's path, with authorities warning of possible flooding, fallen trees, power outages and travel disruptions.
The storm could produce wind gusts exceeding 60 mph (100 kph) along parts of the East Coast, prompting the cancellation of British pop star Ed Sheeran's weekend concerts near Boston.
The Federal Aviation Administration advised passengers to check for travel updates, saying weather conditions could lead to flight restrictions.
Three major U.S. airlines - JetBlue, United and American - issued travel alerts allowing passengers to change affected flights without additional fees.
In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to "look out for your neighbors" after updated forecasts showed the storm tracking closer to the city than initially expected.
"If you're traveling this weekend, give yourself extra time. Check your train, ferry, or flight before you leave, and avoid low-lying coastal roads around high tide," Mamdani said on X.
Parts of Massachusetts, including the Boston area, could receive up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain, more than a month's worth of precipitation in some locations.
The National Weather Service warned that the powerful nor'easter moving off the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts could bring coastal flooding, dangerous rip currents, strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall through the weekend.
Some coastal areas of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey have already experienced flooding this week.
Nor'easters can develop at any time of year but are most common between fall and early spring. The storms typically bring heavy rain or snow, strong winds and hazardous coastal conditions.
Earlier this year, another nor'easter battered the Northeast, disrupting hundreds of flights and leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power.
That storm struck weeks after the region had recovered from another severe winter weather system linked to more than 100 deaths.
