Governor Andrew Cuomo activated 500 National Guard troops for deployment to Long Island and the Hudson Valley region to help localities with storm response efforts, as Hurricane Henri is forecast to make landfall on Long Island.
Henri is currently located 240 miles (390 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as of 5:00 p.m. EDT, according to the NHC. With maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), and higher gusts, the storm is currently moving to the north-northeast at 18 mph (30 kph).
The minimum central pressure has dropped to 991 mb – 29.27 inches, an indication the storm is intensifying, gaining in strength and wind speed. Basically, the lower the barometric pressure in hurricanes, the higher the wind speeds— and the more dangerous the storm.
A decrease in Henri’s forward speed as well as a turn to the north-northwest is expected on Sunday. And on the forecast track, Hurricane Henri is expected to make landfall on Long Island late Sunday morning.
If Henri makes landfall as a hurricane on Long Island, it will be the first land falling hurricane there since Gloria in 1985, according to ABC News. Hurricane-force winds extend outward from the center of Henri for 45 miles (75 kilometers) and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward for up to 150 miles (240 kilometers).
Hurricane warnings are currently in place for New Haven, Connecticut; Newport, Rhode Island; and in Riverhead and Montauk, New York.
Tropical Storm warnings stretch from Belmar, New Jersey, to Hartford, Connecticut, through Chatham and Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Dangerous storm surge, hurricane conditions, and flooding rain is expected in parts of the Northeast beginning late tonight.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont warned about the potential flood risk and outages posed by Hurricane Henri, which is expected to bring significant rainfall and winds to western Connecticut.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said that while the state will avoid a direct hit, locals should still brace for flooding, tropical-storm-force winds in the vicinity of 40 mph, and the possibility of widespread power outages.
