Hurricane Henry’s ocean reaches the northeastern coast of the United States. Reuters – Economy and Finance

Author: Leela de Kretser and Brendan O’Brien

AGENSET, New York (Reuters) – Hurricane Henry’s outer belt shifted earlier on Sunday to southern New England and Long Island as the storm threatened strong winds, dangerous storm surge and torrential rain in the area.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that at 5 a.m. (0900 GMT), Henry is 80 miles (125 kilometers) southeast of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York.

It carries maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) northward. The center said it expects Henry to make landfall on Long Island or southern New England later Sunday, or near hurricane strength.

The NHC said more than 42 million people in the area received a hurricane or tropical storm warning on Saturday.

The center warned that Henry can generate swells 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) in some areas: when water is pushed above normal levels, it will also cause 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 inches) to rise. rain).

Parts of Long Island and New Haven, Connecticut have received hurricane and storm warnings. Other areas of New England, such as Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, are under watch and alert for tropical storms and storms.

Stay home, New Yorker

New York City is the largest city in the United States and has a tropical storm warning. Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to stay home on Sundays and use public transportation when they need to travel via Twitter on Saturday.

Heavy rain and damaging winds could flood streets and reduce visibility throughout the weekend, emergency management officials said.

On Saturday, New York City Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani tweeted: “Protect the outside and make sure you’re in a safe place before the storm comes!”

In East Long Island, the small Hampton village of Agansett, New York, where celebrities like Paul McCartney, Alec Baldwin, and Gwyneth Paltrow make their homes, on an early Saturday morning, residents crowd supermarkets, hardware stores, and liquor stores.

In IGA supermarket there are no toilet paper, tissues and other supplies on the shelves. When the shop’s headlights ran out, motorists waited in long lines at the gas station.

Michael Sink, owner of Amagansett Wine & Spirit, thinks about shutting his shop windows with wood paneling when customers walk in and out with expensive bottles of tequila, vodka, and spirits.

“You always have to be prepared,” said Sinek, who has owned the store for 42 years and is also a lifesaver. “You have to take it seriously.”

Officials from Fire Island, on the southern coast of Long Island, have asked residents and tourists to leave or they may be trapped on the island.

In Newport, Rhode Island, a 25,000-person coastal yachting community, sewage pumps, light bulbs, and generators are also in high demand.

Eversource, Connecticut’s largest energy company, warned residents to be prepared for power outages lasting 5 to 10 days.

Several airlines issued travel alerts and offered coupons for flights in and out of the region on weekends. Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad suspended services Sunday, while Boston’s public transit system said it would cut Sunday services.

On Saturday afternoon, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency, warning people in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont have activated their state’s National Guard to assist with potential relief efforts, debris removal, and public safety efforts.

(Writing and reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago and Frances Kerry in London; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Diane Kraft and Susan Fenton)