Lee downgraded to post-tropical cyclone, but torrential rain brings flooding to parts of New England

Lee, now a post-tropical cyclone, is bringing heavy winds, torrential rain and coastal flooding to parts of New England and Atlantic Canada, where some 130,000 Nova Scotia residents are already without power.

Lee is expected to be “at or just below hurricane strength” when it makes landfall around midday Saturday in Nova Scotia, the National Hurricane Center said in its Saturday morning update.

The storm, while downgraded from a hurricane on Saturday, continues to bring dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents to most of the U.S. East Coast, Atlantic Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the NHC.

Heavy rainfall from the storm — of up to four inches — “may produce localized urban and small stream flooding” on Saturday in parts of far eastern Massachusetts and eastern Maine, as well as in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

On Thursday, Maine Gov. Janet Mills declared a state of emergency, authorizing the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to activate and deploy all resources necessary to respond to the storm.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Friday also declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm. Healey activated up to 50 National Guard members to provide support for storm preparations and response, including operating highwater vehicles.

11 am AST – #Lee very near western Nova Scotia. Strong winds, heavy rains, and coastal flooding occurring in portions of Maine and Atlantic Canada. Here are the Key Messages. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/ZQOnGUEGXd

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023

Officials are also warning about risks of flooding in serval areas across the Eastern Seaboard.

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the NHC said, noting the water could reach up to three feet in certain areas from Watch Hill, R.I. up the coast of Maine.

Lee, which more than doubled its wind speeds to 165 mph in about 24 hours last week — becoming the third-quickest intensification ever recorded in the North Atlantic Ocean — currently has sustained winds of approximately 75 mph.

According to officials, those strong winds are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages across the area, but are expected to weaken throughout the weekend.