CNN
Tropical Storm Henri is likely to hit parts of Long Island and southern New England as a rare Category 1 hurricane this weekend, authorities warned Friday.
The slow-moving storm is expected to bring heavy rain, damaging winds and dangerous storm surges to much of the region on Sunday.
Eastern Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts appear to face the most significant threats, but a storm surge watch is also in effect for Flushing and parts of western Long Island.
Henri strengthened in recent hours and is almost a hurricane with winds of 70 mph, according to the 5 p.m. Friday update from the NHC.
“Although steady to rapid weakening is forecast while Henri moves over cooler waters south of Long Island and New England, it will likely still be at or very near hurricane intensity when it reaches the coast,” the center said Friday afternoon.
A hurricane warning is in effect from the south shore of Long Island from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, for the north shore of Long Island from Port Jefferson Harbor to Montauk Point, and from New Haven, Connecticut, to west of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the area. Forecasters typically issue the warning 36 hours before the predicted first occurrence of tropical storm-force winds.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Port Jefferson Harbor to west of New Haven, Connecticut, and for the south shore of Long Island from west of Fire Island Inlet to East Rockaway Inlet.
The warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the area within 36 hours.
New York City is under a tropical storm watch, the hurricane center says, which means storm conditions are possible in the next 48 hours.
A storm surge of 3 to 5 feet has been forecast from Watch Hill, Rhode Island, to Chatham, Massachusetts; a surge of 2 to 4 feet is expected for the coastline of Connecticut and New York, including the north shore of Long Island, and 1 to 3 feet is forecast along the New Jersey Coast down to Cape May.
“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves,” the hurricane center said.
A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 36 hours.
Heavy rainfall will also be a threat during the day Sunday and into the beginning of next week. Henri is forecast to produce rain of 3 to 6 inches over Long Island and New England, with isolated maximum totals near 10 inches.
