By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-28 19:07:00 | Updated at 2026-09-30 02:45:36
1 day ago
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration map released on Sept. 28, 2026, shows the cloud coverage of the Sept. 2026 Nor'easter. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via The Epoch Times
ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y.—As the coasts of New York City and New Jersey were pummeled with high waters and winds, Orange County’s experience has been much smoother.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Long Island, New York City, and Westchester County on Sept. 25, in anticipation of high winds, rains, and flooding over the weekend. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced a state of emergency for eight counties as well.
The coastal area from Massachusetts Bay through Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, reported coastal flooding and damage. Major roadways throughout Long Island and Queens were under two feet of water and hit by tropical storm winds. Some areas recorded winds as high as 70 mph.
In the morning of Sept. 27, more than 130,000 utility customers were reported to be without power in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Orange and Rockland Utilities and Central Hudson, major electricity and gas providers for Orange County, both worked throughout the storm to keep electricity going.
Orange and Rockland reported on Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. that it had restored power to 32,000 customers since Saturday morning and were working to restore service to the remaining 550 customers. It reported that 73 of those customers were in Orange County.
Central Hudson, which serves much of Orange County along the Hudson River, reported at 4 p.m. on Sept. 26 that crews were working to restore power to more than 19,000 homes and businesses. It named Ulster County as the major recipient of storm damage. By 5:30 p.m. the next afternoon, Central Hudson said it had restored power to 24,000 customers. The 1,200 employees of Central Hudson were continuing to make repairs for 2,500 customers still without utilities.
The National Weather Service recorded wind speeds at the Orange County Airport in Montgomery and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh. Montgomery recorded a max gust of 54 mph at 1:28 p.m. on Sept. 26, while the wind stayed in the 20s throughout the day and night.
As of 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 28, winds at the airport were 13 mph. The area averages about 7 mph winds in September, according to WillyWeather.
The National Weather Service recorded a peak gust speed at Stewart Airport of 40 mph at 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 26. Winds sat between 8 and 12 mph as of the morning of Sept. 28, just above the September average of 7.5 mph.
Of the 20 counties across New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey monitored by the Weather Sevice, Orange received the least amount of rain in inches, averaging 1.12 inches across four survey areas as of Sunday night, mostly in the area of the Hudson River.
Rockland County in the near south received an average of 1.44 inches across 10 survey areas. Putnam in the near east received a similar 1.41 inches based on one survey station. Passaic County in New Jersey sits just south and received the second lowest average of 1.25 inches across seven stations.
The highest average was Suffolk County in Long Island, which averaged 3.67 inches.
The rivers of Orange County have mostly stayed stable, with the exception of the Neversink, which was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey as being above normal levels. As of Sept. 28 at 1:15 p.m., the Neversink was recorded at 409 cubic feet of water a second, a sharp climb from Sept. 25 and 26, when it was recorded at 267 cubic feet of water per second.
