A powerful nor'easter lashed the Northeast over the weekend, flooding coastal communities, toppling trees and leaving tens of thousands without power as high tides inundated low-lying areas from New Jersey to Massachusetts.

The storm, which developed into a rare September system, produced wind gusts up to 74 mph in Surf City, New Jersey, and rainfall totals exceeding 7 inches in parts of southeastern Massachusetts. Waves crashed over seawalls and boardwalks, causing significant beach erosion and back-bay flooding that reached several feet above normal tide levels in places like Atlantic City.

One person died when a tree fell on a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority worker in Brooklyn on Saturday. Crews performed dozens of water rescues, including 67 people helped in Sea Bright, New Jersey. States of emergency were declared in New Jersey and parts of New York.

Power outages peaked above 130,000 customers across the region Sunday before dropping to roughly 18,000 to 55,000 by Monday morning, according to utility trackers. New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island suffered the worst disruptions.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to remain vigilant as another high tide cycle approached Monday evening. Flood watches and advisories remained active from Maryland through Massachusetts, with forecasters warning of lingering river and urban flooding from saturated ground.

The storm delivered much-needed rainfall to drought-stricken parts of New England, where some areas received 4 to 6 inches. However, the slow movement prolonged coastal impacts and travel disruptions, including flight delays and canceled events.

By Monday, the system began weakening and drifting toward the Gulf of Maine, with lighter rain expected to taper through Tuesday. Cleanup efforts focused on downed trees, debris and assessing dune damage along the Jersey Shore and Long Island.

The National Weather Service noted the event aligned with peak king tides, amplifying flooding risks in vulnerable shore towns.