A powerful nor’easter storm swept through the US Northeast on September 26-27, 2026, bringing sustained heavy rain, strong winds with gusts up to 65 mph on Cape Cod and surrounding islands, and causing extensive flooding along the coast. Wind speeds reached 50 to 55 mph around Boston and 35 to 40 mph farther inland.
Flight Disruptions Centered on Boston Logan
Boston Logan International Airport accounted for 39 flight cancellations and 12 delays between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on September 26. FlightAware reported approximately 425 cancellations and 1,338 delays nationwide by early afternoon that day. By 9:50 p.m. ET, cancellations rose to 445 with 3,016 delays
across the US, largely due to the storm’s impact on eastern airports.
Power Outages Hit Over 73,000 Homes and Businesses
The nor’easter caused power failures affecting more than 73,000 customers across multiple Northeastern states as of 9:37 p.m. ET on September 26. The outages resulted from downed tree limbs and damaged power lines amid sustained heavy rain and high winds, especially in coastal and inland communities.
Flooding Prompts Evacuations in New Jersey Coastal Towns
Severe flooding impacted New Jersey communities including Surf City, where flooded streets and some home inundations were reported, and Manasquan, which issued voluntary evacuations in low-lying areas as roads became submerged. Mayor Mike Mangan of Manasquan described the situation as expecting “a
lot of water in the streets for a long time.”
Sea Bright, NJ, braced for floodwaters up to six feet on certain streets and wind gusts near 50 mph. Mayor Brian Kelly characterized the storm’s flooding potential as “worse than average,” comparing it to the scale of Hurricane Irene in 2011, and urged residents in low-lying zones to consider evacuations.
Event Cancellations and Travel Interruptions
Multiple events were postponed or canceled, including Ed Sheeran’s concerts scheduled at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA for September 25 and 26, as well as the AC/DC concert at MetLife Stadium, which was postponed to October 2, 2026. The Boston
Red Sox rescheduled their September 27 game against the Chicago Cubs to Friday, creating a split doubleheader.
Ferry services by the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority experienced widespread cancellations starting September 25, continuing into September 26. Sean Driscoll, spokesperson for the authority, acknowledged the inconvenience but said such disruptions are typical and travelers routinely prepare for them.
Official Warnings and Meteorological Insights
The US National Weather Service warned of major coastal flooding along the Mid-Atlantic coast over several high tide cycles extending through the weekend, advising residents to prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore. “This storm is
expected to bring major coastal flooding to the Mid-Atlantic Coast over multiple high tide cycles through the weekend,” the agency said.
Meteorologist Matthew Belk from NWS Norton noted that storm impacts increase closer to the coastline. He cited the presence of leaves on trees as a factor exacerbating wind damage and subsequent power outages, due to increased wind resistance and falling limbs.
In New Jersey, Mayor Brian Kelly stated, “It’s going to be worse than average. We do have probably one or two flooding events a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I think this one will be closer to
an Irene-scale flooding event.” Meanwhile, Mayor Mike Mangan of Manasquan referred to persistent street flooding, saying communities will face “a lot of water in the streets for a long time.”
Sean Driscoll of the ferry authority commented, “It’s a nuisance, but you know, we know what to do with this kind of stuff at this point. This is not out of the realm of ordinary.”
