Long Island and New England Prepare for Rare Hurricane Strike

As Hurricane Henri approached the region, New York City prepared to shut down city beaches, and Boston erected flood barriers around its most vulnerable subway station.

As Hurricane Henri churned up the East Coast on Saturday, communities from New York City to Boston prepared for what would be the first hurricane to make landfall on Long Island or in New England in at least 30 years. The governor of Massachusetts activated members of the National Guard to make high-water rescues and clear debris. New York City announced it would suspend outdoor dining and close beaches for swimming. And Connecticut power companies said downed trees might leave hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity for as long as three weeks. Henri was projected to make landfall on Long Island or in southern New England as a Category 1 hurricane or a strong tropical storm by midday Sunday. When a concert in Central Park celebrating New York’s emergence from the pandemic was halted because of lightning around 7:30 p.m., it was clear that the storm’s outer bands had arrived.