Tropical Storm Henri makes landfall in Rhode Island

WESTERLY, R.I. — Tropical Storm Henri made landfall successful Rhode Island aboriginal Sunday, packing dense winds and drenching rains arsenic it began lashing the northeastern U.S. coastline.

The tempest was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical tempest but inactive packed upwind gusts of up to 75 mph. Officials warned of the information of wide flooding successful inland areas arsenic the tempest was expected to expanse westbound from the seashore earlier turning backmost to the Northeast.

Millions connected New York’s Long Island and successful confederate New England braced for the anticipation of flooding, toppled trees and extended powerfulness outages. Residents up and down the seashore hoped to beryllium spared the storm’s wrath but prepared for the worst.

Driving surf and sheets of rainfall scoured the formation towns of confederate Rhode Island arsenic the tempest approached, leaving immoderate coastal roads astir impassable. Some tiny trees had already fallen to the winds and rain, which had swollen section inlets and creeks.

Westerly nonmigratory Collette Chisholm, a 20-year resident, said the waves were overmuch higher than normal, but said she wasn’t acrophobic astir her location suffering extended damage.

“I emotion storms,” she said. “I deliberation they’re exciting, arsenic agelong arsenic nary 1 gets hurt.”

In Newport, Paul and Cherie Saunders were riding retired the tempest successful a location that her household has owned since the precocious 1950s. Their basement flooded with 5 feet of h2o during Superstorm Sandy 9 years ago.

“This location has been done truthful galore hurricanes and truthful galore things person happened,” Cherie Saunders, 68, said. “We’re conscionable going to hold and spot what happens.”

The tempest had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported Sunday morning, conscionable shy of hurricane status. The highest winds measured were 75 mph (121 kph) disconnected the seashore of Rhode Island.

Experts warned that the storm’s biggest menace apt won’t travel from upwind but from tempest surge and inland flooding, caused by what are expected to beryllium dense and sustained rains. Some of the highest rainfall totals were expected inland.