By Nicole Salzano
The east coast of the US was shaken by Tropical Storm Philippe in late October. The high winds and strong rain devastated many as the storm took down trees and power lines. The storm happened to fall on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, one of the most devastating storms to hit the Northeast coast.
Tropical Storm Philippe formed near western Cuba and moved its way to the US. Though its wind speed did not classify as a hurricane, the storm destroyed what came in its path. It first hit Southern Florida on Saturday, October 28thsustaining winds of about 60 mph. The storm spawned up two tornadoes near Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach. The tornado winds picked up to 75 to 80 mph leaving about a quarter of a million people out of electricity in the Southern Florida area. The storm moved out of Florida by Sunday and pushed up the coast.
From late night Sunday, October 29th into Monday, October 30th, Tropical Storm Philippe brought battering rain and wind to the Northeast. In this region, 1.2 million were left without power after the tropical storm crossed its path. NBC News States Tropical Storm Philippe caused power outages across the Northeast including 400,000 in Maine, 300,000 in Massachusetts, 270,000 in New Hampshire, 150,000 in Connecticut, 145, 000 in Rhode Island, and 70,000 in Vermont. Hundreds of schools across the New England area closed Monday due to a tropical storm. More than 60 million people in states from Maine to the Carolinas were under high wind warnings and advisories according to WNEP. National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Dellicarpini stated that parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts saw wind gusts up to 70 mph while Narragansett Bay reported 81 mph winds.
While the wind did most of the damage, heavy rains also caused flooding. Road closures due to high water made traveling in cities like Boston and New York City difficult on Monday morning. The Washington Post stated rainfall totals ranged from 4.33 inches in Danbury, Connecticut to 2.25 inches in Manchester, New Hampshire. Because of the phase of the moon, the tide was low which made coastal flooding a minor issue.
In comparison to Tropical Storm Philippe, Hurricane Sandy was more damaging in certain areas of Northeast. Superstorm Sandy was approximately 820 miles in size hitting landfall in the US on the night of October 29th and ending on November 1st. According to Time, 8.1 million homes throughout 17 states lost power due to the Superstorm. The parameter went as far west as Michigan. In the New England area, alone power outages included: 90,000 in Maine, 400,000 in Massachusetts, 200,000 in New Hampshire, 378,000 in Connecticut, 116,000 in Rhode Island, and 35,000 in Maine. During Hurricane Sandy, CBS Boston reported winds as high as 86 mph in Westerly, Rhode Island and 83 mph in Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts.
Both Tropical Storm Philippe and Hurricane Sandy battered through the East Coast with high winds and strong rain causing destruction in their paths. Damage control over power lines and infrastructure from Tropical Storm Philippe are currently underway. The Atlantic coast will soon
be getting a break from storms as the Atlantic hurricane season is coming to a close on November 30.