Subtropical Storm Josephine lashes East Coast with winds, waves
An October nor’easter is still hugging the Atlantic coast, and the National Hurricane Center officially named the system Subtropical Storm Josephine.
Even though the storm has been named Josephine, the impacts will be the same as if it were only a nor’easter.
(MORE: What is a subtropical storm? | Josephine tracker)
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Josephine is expected to stay well offshore as it moves northeastward. It will strengthen slightly, potentially reaching sustained winds of 80 mph on Friday. The heaviest winds and rain will stay offshore, but rip currents could be life-threatening the rest of the week.
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Impacts from Josephine
While we do not expect Josephine to be as impactful as the late September nor’easter, we need to remain cautious across the East Coast. Let’s break down the main takeaways:
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Coastal flooding
The area most likely to see prolonged coastal flooding is from the Delmarva Peninsula to eastern North Carolina.
Coastal flood alerts are in effect for North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where anywhere from 1 to 4 feet of inundation is possible. High surf advisories are also in place across the North Carolina coastline, with waves potentially reaching up to 14 feet.
Across parts of the Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey coasts, inundation up to 2 feet and large waves as high as 10 feet are possible.
Water levels across river gauges from North Carolina to Maryland could rise to moderate flood stage at high tide.
High surf, coastal flooding and rip currents are expected to stretch as far south as Florida’s Atlantic beaches and as far north as New England’s coastline. Expect significant beach erosion across the East Coast this week.
Winds and rain
The worst gusts have shifted from the Carolinas to New England as Josephine shifts north. Gusts could still knock down power lines across coastal communities.
This storm shouldn’t be a huge rainmaker; most of the heavy rain is forecast to stay offshore. However, there could be some off-and-on showers, mainly for coastal areas.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X and Facebook.