LONG ISLAND, NY — Henri weakened slightly to a tropical storm Sunday morning and its track no longer includes landfall on Long Island, but significant threats remain for the region throughout the day.
“Regardless of the designation, the impacts remain the same,” the National Weather Service said after Henri lost hurricane status.
As of 8 a.m., Henry was about 40 miles southeast of Montauk with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. It was moving northwest at 16 mph.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the entire island. Henri will be close to a major hurricane when it makes landfall likely in either Connecticut or Rhode Island late Sunday morning or early afternoon. It is expected to pass just outside Montauk.
The wind threat for the area has lessened as Henri's track shifted east, but wind gusts on the island could reach 60-70 mph by the afternoon, more than enough to damage trees and power lines.
From 8:50 am on Sunday, PSEG Long Island says 2,557 customers were without power. Most of these holidays are in the city of Southampton. See the holiday map.
The period of heaviest precipitation will be between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., when 3-6 inches or more could fall across much of Suffolk County, the weather service said.
A flood watch remains in effect for the entire region with a moderate chance of flash flooding through Sunday evening.
A life-threatening storm surge remains possible along the immediate Long Island coast through Sunday afternoon.
