What’s Henri’s Path: What to know about the storm hitting the east coast
2 min read . Updated: 23 Aug 2021, 11:02 PM IST
PremiumTracking Henri as it is downgraded to a tropical depression
Henri was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday evening from a Category 1 hurricane in the morning. Long Island and New England braced for possible storm surges, heavy rain and strong winds.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches and warnings for parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New England, forecasting an additional one to three inches of rain. Here are key things to know about the storm.
What is Henri’s path?
Henri was moving west-northwest at about 7 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. It cautioned that its effects will be felt beyond the immediate cone.
Henri made landfall as a tropical storm at about 12:15 p.m. EDT Sunday near Westerly, R.I., according to the National Hurricane Center.
What are the damages from Henri?
Thousands of customers were without power in Rhode Island Monday, according to PowerOutage.US data, an improvement from the 100,000 customers who lost power from the storm, state officials estimated Sunday. National Grid crews were working to restore power in the state.
Henri downed trees and power lines and led to coastal flooding.
Will Henri hit New York City?
The impact of the storm began to be felt late Saturday. The threat of severe weather Saturday night prompted a call for concertgoers to leave Central Park during a star-studded show featuring Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson. The event was subsequently canceled.
New York City also issued a flood watch from Saturday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m. until Monday, Aug. 23 at 8 a.m.
All city beaches are closed to swimming on Sunday, Aug. 22, and Monday, Aug. 23, the city said.
What’s the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane?
The National Hurricane Center reclassified Henri because of its maximum sustained winds. Henri shifted from having maximum sustained winds of 75 miles an hour to 70 miles an hour and that crossed the threshold from a Category 1 to a strong tropical storm, said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the National Hurricane Center. It downgraded Henri again on Sunday night to a Tropical Depression when the storm slowed further.
“It’s a matter of semantics," he said, adding that no preparations or precautions should change. “People should not let their guard down at all."
Did Henri hit Long Island?
No. Long Island, which looked like it was in Henri’s crosshairs in early forecasts, hasn’t taken a direct hit from a hurricane since Gloria in 1985. A hurricane hasn’t made landfall in New England since Bob reached Rhode Island in 1991.
