The
headed to New England intensified Friday, generating storm-force winds and creating massive waves along the East Coast that forecasters warned could create dangerous conditions through the weekend.
uncertain
forecasters → head → weekend
Tens of millions of people are in the path of the storm, which has already canceled concerts and prompted people on islands near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to head to the mainland in the days ahead of the nor'easter's arrival.
asserted
which → cancel → arrival
Dangerous flooding was expected along the Mid-Atlantic coast, particularly
and Delaware starting Friday and heading into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
uncertain
flooding → expect → Service
"The heaviest rain is probably going to be from coastal Jersey, Long Island, up to Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts," said Brian Hurley, senior national forecaster with the NWS Weather Prediction Center, adding that the storm was expected to weaken later Saturday.
asserted
storm → go → Center
Residents of some communities urged to evacuate
A voluntary evacuation had been issued in some low-lying areas of Manasquan, a coastal New Jersey borough, while the governors of New Jersey and New York
in advance of the storm.
asserted
governors → urge → storm
"We're definitely seeing at the high end of moderate and maybe the low end of major flooding," said Manasquan Mayor Mike Mangan.
asserted
Mangan → see → flooding
"That may not mean a lot to people, but that means there is going to be a lot of water in the streets for a long time."
uncertain
that → mean → time
Some towns along the New Jersey shore were already getting battered by coastal flooding.
asserted
towns → batter → flooding
In Ship Bottom, roads were submerged.
asserted
roads → submerge → Bottom
Some drivers attempted to push through the rising floodwaters, while some residents were grabbing what little they could and fleeing to higher ground on foot.
uncertain
they → attempt → foot
In Sea Bright, homeowners and businesses were preparing for the worst.
asserted
homeowners → prepare → worst
However, Michael Cardelfe, owner of Donovan's Reef Beach Bar, said his doors will stay open.
asserted
doors → say → Bar
"We are like the local watering hub and Donovan's Reef is the kind of place, when we have a storm, we get busier," Cardelfe told CBS News.
asserted
Cardelfe → have → News
Brian Kelly, the mayor of Sea Bright, said the borough is bracing for winds up to 50 mph and flooding that could reach up to 6 feet on some streets.
uncertain
that → say → streets
Officials expect the flooding to start Saturday and worsen by midday.
asserted
flooding → expect → midday
"It's going to be worse than average.
asserted
It → go → ?
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," Kelly said, referencing the 2011 storm that caused major flooding in the Northeast.
asserted
that → have → Northeast
"I hope I'm wrong, but that's my gut feeling."
asserted
that → hope → ?
Kelly hopes hundreds of residents living in low-lying areas will consider evacuating.
asserted
hundreds → hop → areas
He said the town will open its recreation center for evacuees.
asserted
town → say → evacuees
"A lot of the homes are elevated, but obviously, you know, people can get trapped in their house temporarily," he added.
asserted
he → know → house
The system was already kicking up high surf and causing beach erosion in Ocean City, New Jersey, where block after block was underwater.
asserted
block → kick → block
On New York's Long Island, a state of emergency was declared.
asserted
state → declare → emergency
Crews built a wall of sand along the beach to keep the rising tide away from homes.
asserted
Crews → build → homes
"If the tide goes out, we don't expect to have such bad flooding," Robert Kennedy, mayor of the Long Island village of Freeport, told CBS News.
asserted
Kennedy → go → News
"If the tide stays in, it could increase the flooding in the village.
uncertain
it → stay → village
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, south of Boston, boaters were clearing out the harbor.
asserted
boaters → clear → harbor
"I just want people to take some extra precaution, plan ahead a little bit," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a Friday news conference.
asserted
Wu → want → conference
On Massachusetts' South Shore, the towns of Cohasset and Scituate sit right in the bullseye of the storm.
asserted
towns → sit → storm
While parts of the coastline are protected by seawalls, some of those seawalls are in the middle of repair projects or have federal funding cuts.
asserted
some → protect → cuts
due toStrong winds could push the ocean water over the seawalls, creating flooding.
uncertain
winds → push → flooding
"So the waves hit the seawall and they go straight up about 60, 70, 80 feet, and the wind hits it from the northeast and every wave ends up hitting the house," Kevin Gill, owner of an oceanfront Scituate home, told CBS News Boston on Thursday.
asserted
Gill → hit → Thursday
Peak wind gusts could approach 60 to 65 mph on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, compared with about 50 to 55 mph around Boston and 35 to 40 mph farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with NWS in Norton, Massachusetts.
uncertain
gusts → approach → Norton
"It's definitely going to be a case of the closer to the coast you are, the more impacts from the storm you're likely to see," Belk said.
asserted
Belk → go → storm
Belk said nor'easters are not unusual as New England moves into fall, but one concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on the trees, creating more wind resistance.
asserted
leaves → say → resistance
That could increase the risk of downed limbs, which in turn can cause power outages and leave debris in roads, he said.
uncertain
he → increase → roads
Nor'easter cancels sporting events, concerts
asserted
Nor'easter → cancel → events
As residents braced for the storm, the Boston Red Sox announced their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs would be adjusted.
asserted
series → brace → Cubs
The team moved the Sunday afternoon game to Friday to create a split doubleheader.
asserted
team → move → doubleheader
Separately,
that his high-profile Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, would be canceled due to the storm.
asserted
shows → cancel → storm
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
