A 56-year-old man has died after being struck by a falling tree in New York as millions of Americans face a powerful nor’easter that officials warn could intensify through the weekend.
The tree came down at about 3:24 p.m. Saturday, according to a New York Police Department spokesperson who spoke to the Daily Mail. The man was taken to a hospital but later pronounced dead.
His identity had not been released. The New York City Housing Authority confirmed to CBS News that he was one of its employees.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and the NYCHA community,” the agency said in a statement.
The NYPD described the death as the first potentially weather-related fatality linked to the rare early-season nor’easter. These powerful coastal storms generally develop as autumn gives way to winter.
Rain and strong winds moved into the region Friday night before temporarily easing Saturday afternoon. However, officials said conditions could deteriorate again overnight, with a full moon expected to amplify already elevated tides.
“The rain is underway, and while it’s only half an inch or so thus far, mark my words, much more is coming,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a Saturday briefing.
In a statement, Hochul characterized the storm as dangerous and warned that it presented a significant risk to communities across the region.
A falling tree struck a man in Brooklyn during Saturday’s nor’easter, pictured above. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital
A rare and powerful nor’easter is battering parts of the United States this weekend. The car pictured above was submerged by floodwaters near the Hudson River
Atlantic City has experienced historic flooding, with officials saying water levels have reached their highest point since Superstorm Sandy in 2012
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents Friday to avoid traveling over the weekend unless their trips were essential.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill echoed that warning in a video message Saturday afternoon, saying a temporary break in the most severe weather did not signal the storm’s end. She told residents to remain vigilant as the nor’easter strengthened.
Hochul later said the storm was already “bearing down” on coastal areas including Long Island, New York City and Westchester County. Both New York and New Jersey have declared states of emergency.
A 15-foot wave was recorded near the entrance to New York Harbor Saturday morning. Flooding has spread across parts of Queens, prompting some residents to use kayaks to navigate the streets.
Nicholas Isabella posted video showing several kayakers moving through floodwater outside a subway station in Howard Beach.
Other kayakers were filmed traveling along a residential Queens street while floodwater surrounded nearby businesses.
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Atlantic City has also been hit by major flooding, with water levels rising to their highest mark since Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012.
New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew said on X that South Jersey was experiencing “some of the worst flooding” seen since the historic storm.
Cars were partially submerged as the nor’easter battered New Jersey on Saturday. Governor Mikie Sherrill cautioned that an afternoon lull did not mean the storm had passed
A satellite image of the storm is pictured above the northeastern US on Saturday
Cars were seen fully submerged in floodwater in Edgewater, New Jersey, on Saturday afternoon
Massachusetts has also faced dangerous conditions. Massive waves were seen crashing into a seawall in Scituate, Massachusetts.
Saturday night’s full moon is adding to the massive waves on the Northeastern coastline. The waves are expected to reach their highest point during high tide at around 8pm EST.
As of Saturday evening, almost 108,000 Americans were without power, according to the live tracking site Power Outage.
The most outages were in New York, with just under 29,000 without power. Just under 20,000 customers in Connecticut were without power, while about 14,000 in New Jersey also saw outages.
About 6,000 families in Pennsylvania and 4,700 in Washington and Massachusetts were also without power. Less than 4,000 customers in Virginia and California also experienced outages.
A full moon on Saturday is intensifying high tide. Waves were seen crashing onto the Massachusetts shore
A 15-foot wave was reported in New York on Saturday afternoon. Children are seen above dodging the gigantic waves in Rye, New York
Sandbags were placed in Brooklyn as rainwater flooded the streets. A man in East New York was killed by a fallen tree on Saturday afternoon
Power outages are expected to increase as wind gusts reach 60 mph, and New Yorkers can expect 3 to 6 inches of rainfall.
Northern New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley are expecting about 2 to 6 inches, while Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut are expecting about 4 to 6 inches.
The storm has disrupted Americans’ travel plans across the country, with over 2,000 flights delayed and more than 430 canceled on Saturday.
The Global Citizen Festival in Central Park and the All Things Go Festival in Queens were also canceled this weekend because of the storm.