Hurricane Henri: the great New York concert cut short, state of emergency declared … the American East Coast on alert – teller report

A spoiled reunion. Singers including Barry Manilow, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith or Paul Simon, were forced to interrupt the big concert they were giving in New York to celebrate the artists’ reunion with the New York public. Right in the middle of the concert, spectators were told to move quickly, but calmly, to the nearest exit due to the approaching storm clouds.

“I find that, for the sake of safety, that is understandable. Besides, I hear the thunder”, reacted Maria Fuentes, spectator.

Some 60,000 spectators were expected at the concert. Event “to really tell people New York is back, to tell the world”, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has deplored more than 33,000 victims of Covid-19.

But Storm Henri, now a Category 1 hurricane, is heading straight for the northeastern United States. With winds now up to 120 km / h, Henri is due to reach the American coast on Sunday at Long Island, near New York, or a little further north in New England, according to the American Hurricane Monitoring Center (NHC ), who confirmed that the hurricane was moving north at over 30 km / h.

Faced with the threat, several governors called on the population to be cautious. “Hurricane Henri could be the first to hit Long Island directly since the 1980s. To New Yorkers: Take this seriously. Prepare today for the arrival of the storm forecast for Sunday. Watch your local forecast and stay safe “New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who expects conditions to last “26 hours”, pleaded in a tweet on Saturday.

“I declared a state of emergency ahead of hurricane Henri”, also announced the elected, specifying that 500 soldiers of the National Guard had been mobilized to come in support of the efforts of response to the storm. “Prepare for heavy rains, strong winds and power cuts”, Andrew Cuomo also hurled at residents of potentially affected areas in New York state, when roads are already flooded.

In Massachusetts, the city of Boston, Governor Charlie Baker asked “everyone to avoid unnecessary travel”, especially in coastal areas.

In this state, where all beaches and parks will be closed between Saturday and Monday, the hurricane could cause power cuts affecting 100,000 to 300,000 residents, said the governor’s services.