Weather / Severe Weather
Hurricane Miranda Threatens New England With Dangerous Storm Surge
A powerful hurricane moving northwestward could bring hurricane-force winds and up to 10 inches of rain to coastal New England beginning Friday evening.
Hurricane Miranda, currently located 380 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and strengthening as it moves northwestward across warm Atlantic waters, is expected to bring significant impacts to the Northeast beginning Friday evening. The National Hurricane Center estimates maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour, with potential for intensification to 115 miles per hour before landfall. The storm is moving at 14 miles per hour on a track that would bring its center near the Massachusetts coastline early Saturday morning, with tropical storm-force winds extending 250 miles from the center and hurricane-force winds in the inner core potentially affecting coastal areas from Rhode Island to Maine.
The forecast cone, updated at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, shows reduced uncertainty in the track, with the National Hurricane Center giving a 70 percent probability of landfall on the Massachusetts coast between Cape Cod and Portland, Maine. A hurricane watch has been issued from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border, and a tropical storm watch extends further inland to the Vermont-New York border. The storm will produce dangerous storm surge, with modeling suggesting surge of 4 to 7 feet along the Massachusetts coast, 2 to 4 feet along Rhode Island shores, and lesser amounts further north and inland. Rainfall could exceed 6 inches in some areas, with localized amounts reaching 10 inches in elevated terrain.
Watches and Warnings in Effect
The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for coastal areas from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to the Maine-Canadian border. A storm surge watch indicates 3 to 6 feet of additional water rise is possible, with the greatest risk along Massachusetts south-facing coasts. A tropical storm watch extends inland, covering interior portions of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, with concerns about gusty winds and heavy rainfall even far from the coast. Flash flood watches are in effect for hilly and mountainous terrain where rain rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour during the storm's passage.
The National Weather Service is recommending that residents complete storm preparations by Thursday evening, before conditions deteriorate. This includes securing loose outdoor objects, trimming trees near structures, filling bathtubs with fresh water, charging electronic devices, and ensuring adequate supplies of medications, food, and water that do not require refrigeration or cooking. Residents in mobile homes or flood-prone areas should consider evacuating if possible, and those remaining should have multiple ways to receive emergency communications, including battery-powered radios and cell phone chargers.
Expected Timeline and Impacts
Hurricane Miranda is expected to reach New England late Friday, with the most severe impacts occurring Friday night and early Saturday. Wind gusts of 75 to 90 miles per hour are possible near the coast, with inland gusts of 50 to 70 miles per hour. These winds could cause significant tree damage, power outages lasting several days, and minor structural damage to buildings. Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is likely across most of New England, with the heaviest amounts in areas where the center passes directly overhead. The storm is expected to weaken rapidly after landfall due to cooler Atlantic waters and increasing wind shear, though a tropical depression will likely persist into Sunday as the system moves northeastward into Canada.
The National Hurricane Center emphasizes that even minor variations in the track—just 50 miles north or south—would significantly change which areas experience the most severe impacts. Residents should not be complacent if they are currently slightly outside the forecast cone, as last-minute shifts are possible. Updated forecasts are issued every three hours, with the next advisory due at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Information about shelters, evacuation orders, and real-time weather conditions is available through local emergency management offices and the National Weather Service online at weather.gov.