Henri Makes Landfall In Rhode Island With Wind Gusts To 70mph

Henri makes landfall in Rhode Island with wind gusts of up to 70mph: Tropical storm knocks out power to 127,000 people, generates 19-foot waves and cancels 1,000 flights across the Northeast

PETER BELFIORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Flash flood warnings were issued for New York City, parts of southern New York and Southeastern New Jersey as the effects of Tropical Storm Henri could still be felt throughout the New England region going into Sunday evening. 

The storm came ashore in Westerly, Rhode Island at around 12.15pm, the National Hurricane Center reported, with gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and sustained winds of up to 60 miles per hour. 

Waves off the coast of Rhode Island's Block Island were recorded as reaching up to 19 feet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NWS offices in the area issued a flood watch for more than 35million people across the Northeastern US.  

As of 2pm the storm had slowed both in intensity and speed over southwestern Rhode Island, but continued to produce sustained winds of up to 50 miles per hour as well as flooding rainfall, according to the National Hurricane Center.

New York and New Jersey's flash-flood warnings, which are set to remain in place until 5.45pm, affect more than 11 million people, and come in addition to those already in place for Connecticut as the storm stalls inland, increasing the risk of flooding. 

Flash flooding has already occurred across the region, with more rain anticipated, the NWS reported.  

Tropical-storm-force winds could still be felt 125 miles outward from Henri, the National Weather Service reported, and bands from the storm are lingering over the region.

The storm's movement had slowed to 9 miles per hour, and continued to move northwest through Rhode Island, the agency reported.  

Nearly 127,000 people from New Jersey to Maine were without power as of Sunday afternoon, according Poweroutage.us.

In Rhode Island alone, more than 100,000 people were expected to lose electricity, Gov. Daniel McKee reported.

In Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said that 24,000 people were without power, mainly concentrated in southeast portion of the state, near where the storm made landfall. 

He said he anticipated more in the northwest region of Connecticut as the storm continued to move inland, and urged caution. 

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