(Georgetown) Heavy rain and gusts swept the east coast of the United States on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of several holiday activities.
In South Carolina, emergency responders even had to assist dozens of motorists who found themselves stranded by floodwaters in Georgetown, a municipality located between Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
More than 229 millimeters of rain have fallen in this region since Saturday evening.
“Flooding isn’t just in places that are always more at risk, it’s in areas that are never a problem,” said Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach.
Many streets had to be closed in South Carolina due to heavy rain caused by the storm.
About 100 millimeters of rain also fell on Charleston, where the worst seemed to have passed by Sunday afternoon. Dozens of roads were closed, as stranded cars littered the streets.
“It was like a tropical storm, but in the middle of December,” said M.me Broach during a telephone interview.
No injuries or deaths were reported in Georgetown County, she said. The gusts were strong enough to topple some signs and trees. Outdoor holiday decorations were torn down, she added.
According to the website PowerOutage.us, there were more than 31,000 power outages in South Carolina, more than 14,000 in North Carolina and more than 11,000 in Florida.
The storm, continuing north, is expected to intensify as it moves along the coasts of Georgia and North Carolina, producing heavy rain and strong winds, the weather service said Americans.
Gusts of 56 km/h to 72 km/h could topple trees, especially on saturated ground.
New York is getting ready
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul warned that 50 to 100 millimeters of rain, accompanied by strong winds, could cause flooding.
Flood watches have also been published for several areas of New York City, while high wind warnings have been put in place in the outskirts as well as on Long Island.
“We will weather this storm, but the key is to prepare well,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams.
City officials also asked residents to expect several hours of rain and possible delays to their planned trips Monday morning.
The U.S. National Weather Service also warned that heavy precipitation will fall in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Florida also affected
The storm dumped up to 127 millimeters of rain across Florida, flooding its streets and forcing the cancellation of boat parades and other holiday celebrations.
The state’s main airports, however, remained open at the start of the peak holiday season.
“It’s not a good day to go swimming or boating,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said on the social network X.
Despite its inconveniences, the storm could represent good news for residents of southwest Florida, who are facing restrictions on water use ahead of what is normally the dry season of the region.