Powerful Storm System Threatens East Coast, Tens of Millions At-Risk

• Severe weather threatens 70 million people on the east coast and in Florida.

• Powerful storm system from Gulf of Mexico could cause flooding and intense winds.

• The Florida governor activated the National Guard ahead of potential storm impacts.

National guard Members of USAF Honor Guard team gather in Times Square, New York

Reuters

A powerful storm system looms ominously over Florida and the entire East Coast, threatening severe weather for approximately 70 million inhabitants, a number equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country. A swirl of atmospheric agitation, hidden yet in the Gulf of Mexico, is set to slide over Florida, the Carolinas, and head north towards the Northeast Monday. The pernicious effects of this tempest are expected to not only delay or cancel flights but also to stir fundamental shifts in the serene coastal landscapes.

Florida's governor, taking heed of the storm's severe wind and flood potential, has already activated the National Guard. The storm-stirred rains, like dynamic brush strokes, will spearhead a downpour starting from Jacksonville to South Florida by this afternoon. As a sideshow to this meteorological spectacle, a few tornadoes might be birth on the cascading currents, given the storm system’s increasing momentum.

Interestingly, this weather phenomenon can be likened to a nor'easter without its sidekick - the snow, simply because it's not cold enough for it. While there might not be any blankets of white, there are plenty of what could be aptly deemed as 'nor'easter-type' events: a surge of rain, gale-force winds, coastal erosion, and flooding in certain bays, rivers, and estuaries. The wind, acting like a relentless conductor, will push water onshore, continually in one direction, causing inevitable flooding.

As Sunday dawns, residents of the Carolinas need to brace for about four inches of deluge. As the water slides off the mountains, it is anticipated to create flooding as it takes its leisurely return to the ocean. The rainfall will persist all the way up to parts of Atlantic Canada, accompanied by wind gusts reaching a feisty 60 mph. The ferocious winds will play a dangerous game, bringing down trees and power lines along the Northeast and the Delmarva.

This deceptive storm, devoid of the echoing rumbles of a tropical storm but carrying its damaging might, will cause coastal erosion and flood Florida and the entire eastern coastline. As Monday morning dawns, potentially more than 100,000 residents could witness the storm's memento - a brief and forced return to a life without power.