Reports: Blizzard-stirred coastal flooding in Boston rivals worst in history

As a nor'easter storms up the East Coast into Thursday, blizzard conditions will spread through the coastal mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

The storm first hit the southeastern coast of the United States with heavy snow and ice on Wednesday and has begun to produce blizzard conditions in parts of the northeastern U.S. on Thursday AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski stated.

"An eye has developed in the storm," he said.

Powerful winds over 70 mph have been reported in coastal areas in Massachusetts, while blizzard conditions have forced airport closures in New York City. Power outages are increasing in New England and coastal areas are being inundated with severe flooding.

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4:00 p.m. EST Thursday:

Officials with the MBTA Transit Police posted a video of the rising tide spilling into the harbor side entrance of the Aquarium subway station.

The worst of the coastal flooding is over, however, the water will be slow to drain due to some of the water freezing as temperatures plummet.

3:22 p.m. EST Thursday:

Taunton, Massachusetts has recorded 14.6 inches of snow so far, according to a National Weather Service employee. This is one of the highest snow reports so far with the town continuing to experience heavy snow. Taunton is located south of Boston.

Coastal flooding continues to be a major issue for locations near the coast with water being nearly deep enough to submerge cars in Gloucester, Massachusetts

2:48 p.m. EST Thursday:

The National Guard is responding to the coastal flooding in Marshfield, Massachusetts after people became trapped in a home when waves came through their living room windows.

2:06 p.m. EST Thursday:

“As of noon, the current storm had a central pressure of 28.08 inches (951 mb) and was more intense than the 1991 Perfect Storm and the Blizzard of 1993," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell.

"These storms had pressures of 28.70 inches (972 mb) and 28.34 inches (960 mb) respectively,” Ferrell added.

1:45 p.m. EST Thursday:

Severe flooding on Boston’s Atlantic Avenue and other areas of the city has prompted a large emergency response.

Emergency management personnel are rescuing motorists with boats after historic high tide left the area under water. The National Weather Service Boston reported the area was nearing the highest ever recorded ride.

1:00 p.m. EST Thursday:

According to the Duxbury Fire Department in Duxbury, Massachusetts roads near Cable Hill Road are completely impassable.

Roads in other coastal areas of New England are also impassable due to rising tides.

12:30 p.m. EST Thursday: The storm system blasted Nova Scotia, Canada causing a vehicle to flip over due to slick roads.

12:24 p.m. EST Thursday:

"The heaviest snow is currently tapering off in Philadelphia so expect improving conditions this afternoon though blowing and drifting snow will continue," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Edwards

"New York City and Long Island will experience blizzard conditions through mid-afternoon with 1-2 inch per hour snowfall rates and near zero visibility. Boston is also experiencing blizzard conditions with the heaviest snow and worst conditions expected to occur there through sunset."

Edwards added that thundersnow has been reported around Boston as well.

11:52 a.m. EST Thursday:

Due to blizzard conditions, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City was closed at 10:57 a.m. EST today. The airport is expected to reopen later today at 3 p.m. EST, the FAA reports.

Snow totals of 8 inches in Queens and 9 inches in Long Island have been reported by National Weather Service spotters as snow continues to fall.

10:53 a.m. EST Thursday:

Over 3,000 trucks are out clearing snow and treating roadways in Massachusetts.

Powerful wind gusts of up to 76 mph and 75 mph have been reported on Nantucket and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, respectively.

The NHL game between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, has been postponed.

Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy said over 630 plow trucks and 250 additional trucks from private contractors are available to help remove snow. An additional 1,500 guardsmen from the state's National Guard are ready to support emergency operations if necessary.

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9:43 a.m. EST Thursday:

"The storm has undergone rapid strengthening, referred to as bombogenesis, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "Pressure within the center of the storm crashed 0.95 of an inch of mercury (32 millibars) in nine hours from late Wednesday evening to near daybreak Thursday."

8:53 a.m. EST Thursday:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency for four coastal counties and is urging motorists to stay off the roads.

8:07 a.m. EST Thursday:

A snow emergency went into effect for Boston at 7 a.m. Thursday, with snow already falling in the city. The city is expected to receive around a foot of snow by the time the storm concludes.

The Massachusetts State Police said a speed reduction is now in effect between the New York border and Boston.

7:26 a.m. EST Thursday:

Snowy and icy travel is being reported around Long Island & New York City as snow continues to spread north.

5:50 a.m. EST Thursday:

Traffic accidents, power outages and downed trees and power lines are being reported in areas from Washington, D.C., through Philadelphia, New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.

Residents are reminded to call 9-1-1 to report any downed power lines and to avoid them completely.

Bands of snow are beginning to strengthen as they sweep into the mid-Atlantic, resulting in high snowfall rates, quickly accumulating snow and poor visibility.

These factors will make travel perilous today as road conditions quickly deteriorate across the region.

Coastal areas from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Monmouth, New Jersey, are reporting visibility as low as one-half to one-quarter mile due to heavy snow.

Where heavy snow is falling in the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania, visibility is down to 1 mile.

Travel will continue to be dangerous across New England, much of the mid-Atlantic and eastern New York today, and should be avoided as much as possible.

Hundreds of school districts have canceled school for the day from the Carolinas through the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In Washington, D.C., even the federal government is running on a two-hour delay.

3:50 a.m. EST Thursday:

Snow is now falling along coastal New Jersey; Long Island, New York; Connecticut; Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts, limiting visibility and slowing traffic.

Just inland from Atlantic City, New Jersey, snowfall rates of 2 inches per hour were reported in the town of Mays Landing around 2:30 a.m.

Half of a foot of snow has been measured near Virginia Beach, where heavy snow is still falling. Nearly 20,000 customers are currently without power in the area.

Winds are starting to pick up in these areas as well, with widespread gusts to over 35 mph from the Outer Banks to the Jersey shore.

Flights in and out of the Northeast are being canceled and delayed; anyone planning travel in the area should check with their airline for up-to-date information.

AP News reports that a train has derailed in Savannah, Georgia, where a rare 0.23 of an inch of snow and ice accumulated on Wednesday.

Police and rescue vehicles are parked near an Amtrak passenger train derailed in the snow, Wednesday, Jan. 3, in Savannah, Georgia. An Amtrak spokesman has said three cars on a passenger train have derailed in Savannah, Georgia, but there were no injuries reported among the crew and 311 passengers aboard. (WTOC via AP)

“All three cars — a baggage car and two sleeper cars — are fully upright,” Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said in an email early Thursday to The Associated Press.

He said there were no injuries among the 311 passengers and crew on board.

2:00 a.m. EST Thursday:

Locations across the southeastern U.S. broke low temperature and snowfall records on Wednesday, and this wintry weather is now well on its way to the Northeast.

Vehicles move along a snow and ice covered Interstate 26, near Savannah, Ga., Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018. A brutal winter storm dumped snow in Tallahassee, Fla., on Wednesday for the first time in nearly three decades before slogging up the Atlantic coast and smacking Southern cities such as Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina, with a rare blast of snow and ice.

Snow has reportedly begun falling in Philadelphia, marking the first flakes of a potential 6-inch snow event.

At least a coating of snow is expected tonight from Richmond, Virginia to Baltimore and Allentown, Pennsylvania, quickly limiting visibility and making roads slick. Travel will become dangerous at the onset of snowy weather across the region through Thursday and should be avoided.

Wind gusts of nearly 50 mph were reported in Oceana, Virginia, this evening, and gusts are exceeding 35 mph in Ocean City, Maryland at this hour.