Hurricane warnings and watches are up across the Northeast affecting millions of people for what is expected to be the first hurricane to directly strike Long Island or New England in several decades.
In an update from the NHC at 11:00 a.m., Henri is now a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.
At the 8:00 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Henri was swirling around 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving toward the north-northeast near 12 mph (19 kph).
Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 kph), with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected through tonight and Tropical Storm Henri is expected to become a hurricane later today and be at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall Sunday in Long Island or southern New England.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward from the center up to 115 miles (185 kilometers), and it is anticipated the storm will veer northward to north-northeastward on Saturday with a turn to the north-northwest overnight.
Hurricane Warnings are up for New Haven, Connecticut to the west of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, the South Shore of Long Island from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, and the North Shore of Long Island from Port Jefferson Harbor to Montauk Point.
The Hurricane Watch area includes Block Island and Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Westport, Massachusetts.
Long Island has not had a hurricane landfall since Gloria in 1985. The last time a hurricane made landfall in New England was Hurricane Bob in 1991. New York has not had a direct hit from a major hurricane season storm since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Storm surges will be a major concern. Surges between 3 and 5 feet are possible Sunday in areas including parts of Long Island to Chatham, Massachusetts, the hurricane center said. The surges will be accompanied by large, dangerous waves.
People living in areas under storm surge warnings “should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions,” the NHC says.
The storm is projected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches with isolated maximum totals of nearly 10 inches over parts of Long Island, New England, southeast New York, and northern New Jersey from Sunday into Monday.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and to delay weekend getaways to Cape Cod. The governor activated the Massachusetts National Guard on Friday in preparation for rescues, debris clearing, and other support.
“For those that have already traveled to the Cape or Islands for the weekend, they are advised to consider leaving on Saturday or extend their travel plans through early next week,” the governor’s office said in a news release.
