Northeast, New York City Prepare For Impacts of Tropical Storm Hermine; Emergency Declared in Maryland

Ada Carr
Published: September 2,2016

Residents and visitors piled onto the Jersey Shore Friday morning as sunny skies provided for a warm, beautiful scene, but the fair weather isn't expected to last through the weekend.
Tropical Storm Hermine will be the reason for the weather turning foul, and the impacts are expected to be dangerous along the coastline. From the mid-Atlantic up through New York City and into Connecticut and Rhode Island, coastal flooding and beach erosion are likely to leave damage more than 1,000 miles from where the storm made landfall early Friday morning in St. Marks, Florida.
Friday Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for the Eastern Shore and southern Maryland. The Hogan administration has directed state agencies to stand ready to respond to the effects of the storm.
In a Friday morning news conference, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio warned residents that heavy rains and strong winds could cause flooding and damage for several days. He banned swimming at all beaches within the city limits but has not yet called off Labor Day festivals and parades, according to the Associated Press.
(MORE: Here's What the Northeast Can Expect From Hermine)
"While the path of Tropical Storm Hermine remains uncertain, this state of emergency will ensure that resources and support are readily available if flooding and other damage does occur,” said Hogan in the release. “I strongly encourage Marylanders to pay close attention to this storm system and, if appropriate, to start preparing for potential flooding or any other possible hazards.”"
On Long Island, officials asked residents to begin preparations for the storm while crews tie down boats and build sand dunes to shield the coastline, ABC New York reported.
"Being prepared before an event happens is probably the most important thing you can do," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone told ABC New York.
Preparations have also begun along the Jersey Shore, where officials met Thursday to discuss their options as the storm moved closer, the report added.
"We're just on standby right now," Long Branch emergency management coordinator and beach operations director Stanley Dziuba told ABC New York. "We have our hardware vehicles prepared, ready to go. We have our shelters in place, and we're just going through our checklist, making sure everything is ready to go."
(MORE: Send Us Your Hermine Photos)
Business owners along the shoreline are already feeling the impact of the storm from a financial standpoint, as foot traffic was notably lessened on the boardwalk.

"We depend on the holiday weekends," Cape May County Chamber of Commerce President Vicki Clark told 6ABC. "Tourism is the number one driver of our economy here, so anytime you impact that with a weather event, you can do a lot of damage to our local economy." 

Many businesses told 6ABC they plan on boarding up their storefronts and putting out sandbags the day of. 

Amtrak announced Friday that it has canceled or altered some of its services on the East Coast. Saturday's scheduled Silver Star train from New York to Miami has been canceled. The Palmetto line between New York City and Savannah, Georgia, will only make it as far as Washington, D.C.

Power companies staffed up in preparation for the storm's expected toll on power lines, CBS Philadelphia said.
Air travel was also impacted by Hermine. According to NJ.com, JetBlue, Delta and United all issued travel waivers for Friday and Saturday flights affected by the storm.