Most of downtown Montauk, N.Y., at Long Island’s eastern tip, was shut down, save for a pancake house and a 7-Eleven with its windows boarded up and “open” spray-painted in neon orange.
To the west, in Long Beach, a few brave or foolhardy surfers rode towering waves. At Jones Beach nearby, Andy Lawrence, 76, and his 8-year-old granddaughter, Harper, were among the few human dots on the landscape. “We’re a family of storm-chasers,” Mr. Lawrence said.
Harper added, “I like how strong the wind is — it feels weird on my rain jacket.”
The storm gave New York’s outgoing governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, a final opportunity to prove his emergency-management mettle.
Mr. Cuomo, who received national attention for his leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, declared a state of emergency so New York could use federal funds to prepare for floods and other possible effects of the storm — though he acknowledged that officials did not expect “any real significant damage post the event.” Mr. Cuomo has announced he would step down on Monday night in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal. States of emergency were also declared in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
As the rains fell, the Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road canceled much of their service in New York and Connecticut, hundreds of flights were canceled at airports in the New York metropolitan area, and parts of New York City’s subway system briefly stopped service.
Officials in Connecticut issued evacuation orders in coastal parts of several towns, including East Haven, Madison, Groton and Branford. About 250 residents of four nursing homes — in Old Saybrook, Mystic, Guilford and West Haven — were evacuated, state officials said.
Rhode Island officials closed three bridges because of high winds, and the state banned motorcycles and tractor-trailers.