Forty million people from Maine to North Carolina braved the first nor'easter of the season. Wind gusts up to 80 miles an hour created waves 16 feet and higher, pushing a wall of water into coastal areas along the East Coast.

States of emergency were declared for New Jersey and New York, where many streets were covered in feet of water, making them look like rivers. 

Downed trees knocked out power to an estimated 200,000 customers across the region. A fallen tree in Brooklyn killed a housing authority employee who was walking through a parking lot.

"It broke my heart," said an unidentified neighbor. "I'm just somebody who knows him from the neighborhood and seeing him as a worker and it affected me, so I can't imagine what his family's going to go through."

Despite evacuations, Rich Kaider of Long Island, New York, decided to ride out the storm in his 44-foot boat. "Concerned, curious, and we love the water," he said when asked why he stayed.

Sea foam went flying through the air off the coast of Massachusetts, where the storm surge damaged homes. Stalled and abandoned cars littered flooded coastal roads, with some drivers receiving water rescues. 

In Norfolk, Virginia, flooding increased significantly at high tide.

"The other day it was up to where we're standing right now," said Ellie Hodge, standing on one of the highest stairs into her home. "And we've seen cars get stuck on the road." (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

The water also trapped some people in their homes. "I definitely missed a day of work because of the flooding," said Kayla Hodge.

Nearby Virginia Beach suffered extensive beach erosion. Further south in Corolla, North Carolina, the sand dunes took a major hit. The only road to the Outer Banks of that state, NC-12, is closed due to severed ocean overwash and significant pavement damage caused by the nor'easter.

Still, the storm wasn't bad news for everyone. People from New Hampshire to Virginia were spotted surfing in the treacherous waters.

Amtrak and major airlines offered travel waivers to passengers affected by the storm. The backlog of cancelled flights could disrupt travel as air traffic resumes. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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