As we clean up after Sandy, Rhode Islanders might need to prepare for another storm expected to arrive midweek.
According to the National Weather Service, a significant coastal storm is expected to impact Southern New England and the coastal waters on Wednesday. The storm's track and timing are still uncertain.
Potential impacts from this coastal storm could include:
- Windy conditions, perhaps gusts as high as 50 mph, that could be more problematic due to trees and limbs damaged by Sandy. The greatest threat for high winds will be near the coast.
- While nowhere near as bad as Sandy, the combination of storm surge and wave action could cause minor to perhaps moderate coastal flooding and additional beach erosion along the mid Atlantic and New England coast. Fortunately we are between the full and new moon so normal astronomical tide levels will be lower than usual. The threat for coastal flooding will be primarily during the high tides on Wed and Wed night for the mid-Atlantic. From New York City into New England, the high tides Wed night and Thu have the greatest threat for flooding.
- Wet snow is expected across interior sections, especially higher elevations. It is still too far out, and there is too much uncertainty to determine potential snow amounts. However, the weight of accumulating wet snow could bring down limbs already weakened from Sandy, especially where leaves might still be on the trees.
- Heavy rain near the coast could cause flooding of poor drainage areas.