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Northeast Buried; City Spared the Worst Northeast Buried; City Spared the Worst
(about 1 hour later)
A powerful storm swept fast and furiously across the Northeast on Saturday, dumping mountains of snow, forcing hundreds of motorists to abandon their cars at the height of the blizzard and knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of people. A gigantic midwinter storm buried the Northeast in snow on Saturday, leaving behind a debilitated and disoriented region digging through plump white drifts and reeling against gale-force winds.
The storm played out the way many forecasters said it would — with New York City spared the worst, and points to the north and east hit harder. Painting a white landscape from Maine to New York, the storm expressed itself much as weather forecasters had predicted. New York City eluded the storm’s worst bite, and muffled-up pedestrians trooped along slushy sidewalks as insouciantly as after any matter-of-fact winter snowfall. But points to the north and east were battered hard.
With the storm still raging on Saturday morning, officials in Massachusetts ordered the evacuation of some communities along the coast as waves lashed the shoreline and high tide brought a surge of water inland. More than three feet of snow fell on parts of Connecticut, and more than two feet accumulated on Long Island and in Massachusetts, causing coastal flooding that forced evacuations of some Massachusetts communities.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, at a Saturday morning news conference, offered to help neighboring states. Thousands of people shivered without power in biting cold temperatures. Wind gusts that eclipsed 80 miles per hour cut power lines and toppled trees.
“They have gotten an enormous amount of snow, and the snow continues to come down,” he said. The storm, spawned by the collision of two weather systems, touched more than 40 million people, though early reports suggested it accounted for only a handful of deaths. One awful case involved a young boy shoveling snow with his father in Dorchester, Mass., who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after he retreated inside a car to warm up. The exhaust pipe was blocked by snow.
Most of the roads in the city, he said, were well on the way to being cleared and he thanked people for staying off the roads during the storm. Mayor Michael R. Bloombergexpressed relief at a Saturday morning news conference that the city had avoided worse damage and offered to assist the more heavily-pounded neighboring states and Long Island, the hardest-hit part of New York State. Most of the roads in the city, he said, were well on the way to being cleared and he thanked people for staying off the streets during the storm. The accumulation in Central Park was measured at 11.4 inches by the time the snow had relented at daybreak Saturday.
“I think it is fair to say we were very lucky,” he said. “I think it is fair to say we were very lucky,” Mr. Bloomberg said.
Through the night, winds gusted with hurricane force in some places, downing power lines and creating white-out conditions. More than three feet of snow fell in parts of Connecticut, and more than two feet were reported on Long Island and in Massachusetts. But for many areas, “this storm will rank in the top five of recorded snowstorms,” said David Stark, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Suffolk County, Long Island. Outside his office, measurements have been taken since 1949, and this storm beat them all with 30.9 inches.
States of emergency were declared in four states on Friday. The governor of Massachusetts banned travel on all roads as night fell, an order that remained in effect on Saturday. In Connecticut, where the governor had ordered no cars on state highways on Friday night, residents were told early Saturday morning to stay off all roads. “The way this evolved was a very classic winter nor’easter,” Mr. Stark said. “The way it formed and moved is well understood, and it is the type of situation we have seen in the past — but this storm brought more moisture and therefore more snow.”
On Long Island, the storm descended so quickly that hundreds of drivers who were trying to beat the nor’easter home on Friday night were forced to abandon their cars on the highways and streets as roads became impassable. The National Weather Service received reports of flooding up and down the eastern coast of Massachusetts, especially in those areas just north and south of Boston. Water carrying slabs of ice sloshed through the streets and lapped against houses. The National Guard was dispatched to assist in evacuations.
Snowplow drivers worked furiously to clear roads, but the snow limited what they could do. Waves off the south shore of Boston and parts of Cape Cod measured as high as 20 feet. Two feet of water was observed in Winthrop, Mass., just north of Boston. Waters breached a sea wall in the Humarock section of Scituate, while roads in Gloucester, Marblehead and Revere were reported flooded or impassable.
“It’s really hard right now, it’s wet, it’s heavy and it’s freezing, so everything is going slow,” said Jack Mandaneza, 31, as he took a break from plowing on the Long Island Expressway at the height of the storm. At a news conference, Gov.Andrew M. Cuomosaid New York would send crews to Connecticut and Massachusetts to help remove snow and restore power.
“This has been a record breaking storm,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloyof Connecticut said on Saturday. He said there were cars stranded across his state, too, and that rescuers were working to dig them out. There were several people who needed to be treated for hypothermia after spending hours trapped in their cars, he said. Some streets in Connecticut resembled ski slopes or mountain passes. People could not open their doors.
The storm’s impact was felt by more than 40 million people, from northern New Jersey to Maine. With snow still falling, the Weather Service said it had reports out of New Haven County, in Connecticut, of 36.2 inches in Oxford and 38 inches in Milford. In Commack, on Long Island, 29.1 inches of snow was reported at 6 a.m. and 27.5 inches at MacArthur Airport in Islip. In Boston, where the sun finally broke through about 2 p.m. Saturday, the accumulation was 24.5 inches, the fifth highest in city history.
In Massachusetts, state officials said at a briefing on Saturday morning that the most immediate problem was moving people out of homes where they had lost power. National Guard soldiers had been deployed, mainly in the southeastern part of the state, to retrieve people and take them to warming centers and shelters. National Guard troops were assisting with evacuations in part of Salisbury, north of Boston, after a wave crashed into a home there, and in Hull, on the south shore of the state, as well as other south shore towns like Marshfield, Scituate and Weymouth. On Long Island, the storm barreled in so quickly on Friday night that hundreds abandoned their cars as roads became impassable, even with snowplows working furiously. Scores of cars including tow trucks, semis and even county snowplows were strewn about and stuck in the snow along North Ocean Avenue in Brookhaven, Long Island, which had received 30.3 inches by 6 a.m.
“We had pre-positioned National Guard troops and equipment vehicles, basically along the south coast from the town of Hull, all the way to Cape Cod, the town of Sandwich,” said Peter Judge, of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “God was kind last night because it was a terribly dangerous situation,” Governor Cuomo said. “Many people got very lucky.”
But even some members of the Guard were trapped at home; only about 2,000 soldiers of a force of more than 5,000 were able to respond initially. Barbara Bariciano, 43, a housecleaner, tried to shadow the plows, but the snow snapped both windshield wipers on her Honda Civic hybrid.
As high tide wore on Saturday morning, the National Weather Service posted multiple preliminary reports of flooding. Two feet of water were observed in Winthrop, Mass., just north of Boston. Waters breached a sea wall in the Humarock section of Scituate, while roads in Gloucester, Marblehead, and Revere were reported flooded or impassable. “My knees are shaking,” she said when she stopped at a gas station to scrape snow from her windshield. “I’m going to stay right here for a while.”
Saturday morning’s high tide was expected to be more severe than the one that came Friday night, which caused only minor flooding. “Coastal roads were washed over, nothing major, but we’re watching to see if something major occurs with this storm,” said Mr. Judge. States of emergency were declared in five states. The governor of Massachusetts banned travel on all roads as night fell on Friday, an order that remained in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday. Gov. Dannel P. Malloyof Connecticut reported cars stranded across his state, despite orders to stay off the roads, and said several people needed to be treated for hypothermia after spending hours trapped in their cars.
Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said on Saturday morning that despite the best efforts to clear roads they were “struggling to keep up with the snow.” In Bridgeport, Conn., George Berry, 69, was stuck on a road in his Chrysler sedan, holding up traffic. He had worked the night shift at a supermarket and was almost home. Three men were digging out his car. Two of them had also been offering their services to homeowners, charging between $20 and $50.
Overnight, temperatures across the region dropped precipitously in Boston, and created dangerous conditions for the hundreds of thousands of people without power. The three men extricated Mr. Berry’s car and he handed them $20.
Instead of dissipating overnight, the storm seemed to gain strength in the Boston area, and on Saturday morning winds topping 70 miles per hour still whipped through some towns and cities, creating massive snowdrifts and forcing people to simply sit inside and ride it out. Coming less than four months after Hurricane Sandy walloped the New York area and boldly confirmed the merciless side of mother nature, weather-anxious residents took this storm very seriously. People crowded supermarkets and supply stores to stock up as the storm bore down on the region. Long lines materialized at gas stations.
In Central Park, a total snowfall of 11.4 inches was reported at 6 a.m., and the snowfall had ended by daybreak. But it was impossible for some to stay home minus power. There were 407,000 power failures reported in Massachusetts, and more than 180,000 in Rhode Island. The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Mass., shut down because of the storm. On Long Island, about 10,000 customers were reported without power, the Long Island Power Authority said.
But in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as on Long Island, residents faced the prospect of a long weekend of digging out. Marcy Reed, president of National Grid, which supplies power to the Long Island Power Authority, said failures could last several days because repairs would not begin until the storm ended and would require unearthing power lines buried under mounds of snow.
The Weather Service said on Saturday morning that it had reports out of New Haven County, in Connecticut, of more than three feet, including 36.2 inches in Oxford and 38 inches in Milford. In Commack, on Long Island, 29.1 inches of snowfall were reported at 6 a.m. and 27.5 inches at MacArthur Airport in Islip. Instead of dissipating overnight on Friday, the storm seemed to gain strength in the Boston area, and on Saturday morning winds topping 70 m.p.h. still whipped through some towns and cities, creating massive snowdrifts and forcing people to simply sit inside and ride it out.
The deep snows and impassable roads will make it hard for utility workers to restore power even as the storm abates. In Massachusetts, National Guard soldiers were deployed, mainly in the southeastern part of the state, to retrieve residents and take them to warming centers and shelters. Yet even members of the Guard found themselves trapped at home; only about 2,000 out of a force of more than 5,000 managed to get out.
There were 407,000 power failures reported in Massachusetts, and more than 180,000 were reported in Rhode Island. And the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Mass., shut down because of the storm. On Long Island, about 10,000 customers were reported without power, the Long Island Power Authority said. Betty Ludtke, the single mother of newborn twins and two other young children, woke up at midnight to find her Hyannis Port home in Cape Cod without electricity. To keep warm, they snuggled beneath down comforters on the living room floor. Her car was encased in snow.
Logan Airport in Boston was expected to be closed until at least Sunday. The three international airports around New York City were slowly working to resume operations on Saturday, but with more than 5,000 flights canceled since Friday, many travelers could still face challenges. “I wouldn’t be so worried for myself but with the kids” she said. Then just before noon on Saturday, Wilson Dsouza, a close family friend who lives about four miles away, appeared at her door. He had flagged down a snow plow to get his own car out and took the Ludtkes back to his house.
For many, Saturday was a day for fun — an excuse to stay home and play in the powder. In New York City, many people woke up early to snap photos of snow-topped streetlamps and make fresh tracks on their way to find the best hill to go sledding. The Boston Archdiocese released Roman Catholics from their obligation to attend Mass on Sunday, saying they should attend only if they could do so safely.
It was also good for some businesses. Logan Airport in Boston was expected to open Saturday night. The three international airports around New York City were slowly working to resume operations on Saturday. With more than 5,000 flights canceled since Friday, many travelers could still face challenges.
“These aren’t flakes falling from the sky; these are dollar bills,” said Ed Carrier as he sat in a coffee shop in Portsmouth, N.H., and envisioned the boon for winter sports. Staff members at the Thirsty Moose Taphouse nearby said they were determined to stay open through the storm until their regular closing time at 1 a.m. (except in the case of a power failure), and even offered storm-related drink specials: $3 porters and stouts, as long as it was snowing. “It’s just a little bit of snow,” said the hostess, Kim Lovely. “Mother Nature’s just brushing out her dandruff.” Many people in New York City woke up early to snap photos of snow-topped streetlamps and make fresh tracks on their way to find the best hill to go sledding. Or they looked to pick up income. In Red Hook, Brooklyn, Ashley Faria, 18, snow shovel in hand, had just cleared a neighbor’s stoop and sidewalk and collected $20.

Nate Schweber, Katharine Q. Seelye and Jess Bidgood contributed reporting.

“I enjoy it, it’s peaceful,” she said. “I’m listening to my music. I could do it all day.”

Reporting was contributed by Jess Bidgood, Robert Davey, Ann Farmer, Dina Kraft, Elizabeth Maker, Eli Rosenberg, Nate Schweber, Michael Schwirtz, Katharine Q. Seely, Ravi Somaiya, Alex Vadukul and Vivian Yee.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 9, 2013Correction: February 9, 2013

An earlier version of this article misstated the location of Winthrop, Mass. It is north of Boston, not south.

An earlier version of this article misstated the location of Winthrop, Mass. It is north of Boston, not south. It also misspelled the surname of a woman driving on Long Island. She is Barbara Bariciano, not Barkiano.