Powerful nor'easter batters parts of East Coast

Geoff Bennett:

Cleanup efforts are under way after a powerful nor'easter battered parts of the East Coast this weekend, bringing dangerous waves, flooding, and damaging winds from New England to New Jersey. The storm also knocked out power for many.

Jeffrey Brown has this report.

Jeffrey Brown:

The same coastline that drew crowds all summer was hit this weekend with dangerous waves up to 14 feet.

Man:

Levels of flooding that I have not seen down here.

Jeffrey Brown:

In New Jersey, the tidal waves swamped low-lying neighborhoods, turning streets into waterways.

Man:

Crazy storm, and it's just I can't believe this is all happening right now.

Jeffrey Brown:

And on Long Island and in Massachusetts, wind gusts brought the storm right to some residents' doorsteps.

Sue Mastria, Wareham, Massachusetts, Resident:

I was asleep at 3:00 a.m. All of a sudden, I heard boom. And I said, it's the tree. The car took the worst damage. It's totaled.

Jeffrey Brown:

As of last night, the slowly weakening storm was centered near Cape May, New Jersey. It moved through New York City, Long Island and much of Southern New England over the weekend.

In New York, a Housing Authority worker was killed Saturday after a falling tree struck him during the storm. While the city was spared for most of the heavy downpour, dangerous winds affected tourists still attempting to make the most of their trip.

Adolfo Mendoza, Tourist in New York City: Kind of changed our plans. We were supposed to go to the Yankees game tonight, and that got canceled.

Woman:

Yes. I know.

Adolfo Mendoza:

So -- but we're making the best of it.

Woman:

Yes.

Adolfo Mendoza:

So we will enjoy the day.

Jeffrey Brown:

Travel was also impacted throughout the Northeast, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed over the weekend in both New York and Boston. At times, more than 100,000 customers across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic were without power. In Massachusetts, the storm also exposed wood believed to be from a sailing vessel that wrecked off Nantucket's South Shore in 1884.

Meanwhile, Pacific storms on the West Coast brought their own set of challenges. In Mexico, heavy rain, high surf, and strong winds from Hurricane Polo prompted evacuations, port closures, and school cancellations.

Erick, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Resident (through interpreter):

Climate change is a part of this. Hurricanes and cyclones are stronger, not only in Mexico, but around the world.

Jeffrey Brown:

The Category 3 hurricanes swirled over the Pacific Ocean over the weekend, and residents today braced for life-threatening flooding. Beaches were closed along parts of California's coast, for fear of secondary impacts.

This comes as another hurricane, Nolo, battered the Hawaiian Islands with strong winds, heavy rain, and flash floods. National Guard troops worked to rescue residents as the Big Island narrowly avoided a direct hit. Nolo turned off the coast for 36 hours as it moved away.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Jeffrey Brown.