After Henri became a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, the Northeast US is now bracing for a rare hurricane impact late Sunday.
The National Hurricane Center advised Saturday morning that Henri will be near or at hurricane strength when it reaches Long Island and southern New England.
Henri, if this happens would be the first major hurricane to strike the region since Hurricane Bob struck the area in August 1991. Bob was the Atlantic hurricane that struck the region in the 1991 season. It was a Category 2 hurricane that made landfall in Rhode Island. It killed 18 people and caused around $3 billion of damage after inflation.
Forecast track and wind probabilities
The Times are shown in Eastern Time. Peter Aldhous/ BuzzFeed News/ Via NOAA/NWS
This map displays the forecast track and winds for Henri. You can switch between views that show the likelihood of tropical-storm-force winds and hurricane-force winds (more then 74 mph) using the control.
The track of Henris has been moved to the West over the last few days, as forecasters have taken into account its interaction with other weather systems. The center of the storm was forecast to land in the Hamptons, eastern end of Long Island on Saturday before moving into Connecticut.
The area in danger will be large, with New York City under a tropical storm watch on Saturday. Connecticut Governor In advance of Friday's storm, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared an emergency.
Watches and warnings about storm surges
Peter Aldhous/ BuzzFeed News/ Via NOAA/NWS
Flooding due to surging seas will be the main hazard for Henri. The NHC predicted surges of up five feet in Long Island and New England on Saturday morning.
The center warned that the deepest water will be found along the coast, in areas with onshore winds. There, the surge will be accompanied and dangerous by large waves.
Weather forecast track and rain for the next 7 days
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The Times are shown in Eastern Time. Peter Aldhous/ BuzzFeed News/ Via NOAA/NWS
Flooding is likely to increase due to heavy rains from the storm. This map shows the track and expected rainfall for the next week. Henri will bring rainfall amounts of 3-6 inches to Long Island, New England and southeast New York. This is in addition to isolated maximums of near 10 inches. Henri's heavy rainfall could cause flooding in the form of flash floods, small streams, and urban flooding.
Forecast track and flooding
The Times are shown in Eastern Time. Peter Aldhous/ BuzzFeed News/ Via NOAA/NWS
This map shows flash flooding risks from rain over the next 24 hours. It also includes longer-term forecasts for river flooding from stream gauges, if any.
Rain from tropical Cyclones can cause flooding in urban areas. This is especially true if they are moving slowly after arriving on the shore. After landing, Henri will slow down and then turn northeast to avoid flooding Connecticut.
Henri is the third Atlantic hurricane of the 2021 season. This follows Elsa, who weakened to a hurricane after entering the Caribbean, as well as Grace, which struck Mexico's Yucatn Peninsula on Thursday morning as a Category 1 hurricane. Grace made another landfall in central Mexico on Saturday morning, this time as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of around 125 mph.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2021 will have a more than average Atlantic season with 15 to 21 named hurricanes and 7-10 hurricanes. 2020 saw 30 named storms, making it the busiest ever hurricane season.
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