Nor'easter brings down trees, causes flooding in New York, New Jersey area

Areas of New Jersey have picked up considerably more rain from the nor'easter than in New York and Connecticut.

The LIRR said service would be restored on the Long Beach Branch at 10 p.m.

The first train to operate was to be the 10:06 p.m. train from Penn Station to Long Beach. The first westbound train was to be the 10:29 a.m. train from Long Beach to Penn Station. 

The nor'easter is winding down, but the Tri-State Area will continue to feel its effects well into Monday.

Here's what you need to know.  

Coastal areas on Long Island, and in New Jersey and parts of New York City are dealing with flooding and the prospects of more rain coming Sunday night into Monday.

Hundreds of trees are down in the city and some suburban communities are working to get businesses and train stations cleaned up before the morning commute.

Here's the latest from CBS News New York.

Businesses remained closed on Ocean Avenue in Seabright, New Jersey, on Sunday due to flooding from the night before. Though a lot of that water has receded, concerns remain because more rain is expected on Sunday night.

Long Branch also took a beating on Saturday night as drivers had a lot of issues navigating the flooded roadways. Multiple vehicles got stuck in high waters.

The situation was similar in Monmouth Beach, where several roads remained closed Sunday as the wait continued for the water to recede.

Even with the heaviest part of the storm now over, Gov. Mikie Sherrill reminded residents that they are not out of the woods yet. Most of the state remains under a wind advisory and a coastal flood warning remains in effect through Sunday.

"The current high tide and winds, as well as another high tide tonight, might bring more flooding. There's also one more high tide we are concerned about at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning," Sherrill said.

Monmouth Beach School announced it will be closed Monday in the wake of all the flooding.

The Long Island Rail Road is working feverishly to get a busy rain station back open before the new work week begins.

Trains were canceled on Sunday out of the Island Park station off of Long Beach Road and Austin Boulevard due to flooding and more flooding is possible as the night progresses, officials said.

Right now, travelers are being told to transfer out to Rockville Centre and Long Beach. 

For more information, click here.   

NYC Parks has crews working on 12-hour shifts throughout the weekend to respond to tree damage caused by the nor'easter.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the Downed Tree Task Force has received 1,927 service requests, including 815 for downed trees. The task force did say those numbers could be skewed due to duplicate reports.

If you see a hazardous tree condition, please report it via the NYC Parks website, through the NYC Tree Map, or by calling 311. NYC Parks says if you see downed power lines, someone in immediate danger, or any other emergency situation, please call 911.

A residential street in Far Rockaway, Queens, became part of Jamaica Bay on Sunday afternoon

Residents say multiple vehicles were damaged by the high water and one had to be towed away.

"The storm here today was horrendous," resident Craig Marinucci said. "Everything floated down the street. The police put yellow boards across that you couldn't come down the block."

Residents who live off Beach 84th Street, just off Beach Channel Drive, said they're used to flooding but added the high water on Sunday morning was alarming.

"I'm afraid, honestly, if there is a fire, how would they get to us?" Alina DeJesus said.

"It was up to this step over the garbage," resident Issac Ojeda added. "We need a boat."

The nor'easter packed a punch over the weekend, knocking out power for tens of thousands of residents and toppling over hundreds of trees.

"We have the Downed Tree Task Force activated, going through prioritizing trees on streets, trees on homes," NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said.

Flooding near Island Park forced the suspension of Long Island Rail Road's Long Beach Branch service Sunday afternoon. 

Shuttle buses were available between Valley Stream and Long Beach. NICE Bus service was cross-honoring tickets on the N15 line between Long Beach and Rockville Centre. 

For more information, click here. 

CBS News New York's John Elliott has a look at the forecast as the nor'easter continues to impact our area. The worst may be behind us, but more rain is on tap. 

There were delays at LaGuardia due to wind Sunday afternoon. The average delays was about 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

At Newark Liberty International Airport, there was ground stop due to wind until 2:15 p.m. 

"I'm happy to report that it looks like the worst is over, that we survived," Blakeman said, and he went on to thank first responders and utility workers for "a job well done." 

"However, it is not over. While the wind is dying down and the rain will just be a trickle compared to what we've had the last couple of days, the ground is saturated with water. That means the roots are looser. It doesn't take much for a tree, especially one full of leaves, to fall over," Blakeman said. 

Blakeman reminded people not to touch power lines. 

Blakeman said even though winds are winding down, there may still be gusts of 30 mph. 

The county executive said there had been coastal flooding in East Rockaway, Island Park, parts of Massapequa, Merrick, Oceanside and parts of Long Beach.

A high tide is expected at 9 p.m. Sunday, and it is expected to bring more coastal flooding. 

"We're not out of it. We're not out of danger completely. But certainly we've gotten through the worst of it," Blakeman said. 

A spokesperson for Con Edison said the utility has restored 21,139 customers in New York City and Westchester since Friday. 

As of Sunday just before 1 p.m. there were 1,549 customers out in New York City and Westchester. 

Queens had 285 customers without service. 

As of noon, PSEG Long Island said the strongest wind gusts were subsiding. 

The utility said its crews have restored power to more than 93,700 customers across Long Island and and the Rockaways since Friday morning. 

There were 18,501 customers without power as of noon, the utility said.

More than 1,000 trees and 530 large branches have been brought down during the storm, according to PSEG Long Island. 

Heavier rain remains to our south Sunday afternoon, but it is expected to swing around and fill in later in the day. There will be on-again, off-again showers throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

The rain will last through Monday morning, and the storm won't fully break out of our area until Tuesday morning. 

So far, observed rainfall in our area include: 

• 3.75 inches in Tom's River
• 2.9 inches in Belmar
• 2.85 inches in Montauk
• 2.28 inches in Islip 
• 1.68 inches in Central Park

The soaking rain and high winds mean downed trees across the Tri-State Area. New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said there were numerous reports of trees and heavy limbs down across New York City, particularly in Queens. 

Of course, the concern is not limited to the Big Apple. In Livingston, N.J. crews could be seen removing a large tree that had fallen - just one of many across the Tri-State. 

The nor'easter didn't keep people away from the Tunnel to Towers 5k Run and Walk Sunday morning. 

Organizers reminded participants to layer up and wear shoes they don't mind getting wet. 

First responders and civilians alike all gathered to participate. 

"This is my first time, but I have been running a couple times a week, getting faster and faster progressively, so I've definitely been preparing myself for it," runner Matthew Caiazza said. 

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation says some 40,000 people run in a typical year.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said New Jersey officials are keeping an eye on the high tide cycles through Monday morning. 

Sherrill said there was severe dune loss in Brigantine and Atlantic City, and winds reached as high as 74 mph in Surf City. 

"To be clear, we're not out of the woods yet. Most of the state remains under a wind advisory, and there's a coastal flood warning in effect throughout today," Sherrill said. "I ask that you stay vigilant and continue to watch for updates so you're prepared as conditions change." 

Sherrill said utility crews had been prepositioned, and so far almost 180,000 people have had their service restored as of Sunday morning. 

Transportation updates - including road closures - can be tracked at 511NJ.org. 

Sherrill thanked all the utility workers and state employees who have been working around the clock both ahead of and during the storm. 

"Unfortunately this is only the beginning of storm season, so I'll leave you with a few tips," Sherrill said. "I can not say it enough: do not drive through flooded roadways. You are putting yourself and first responders in danger. Take an alternate road or wait for the flooding to subside." 

Anyone who experiences flood damage should document it with photos and videos, she said. 

More resources for help are available at ready.nj.gov.

"Please check on your neighbors and family members who may need additional assistance. It's important that we have each other's backs," she said. 

"We took a pretty good pounding on the surf here. We have a lot of beach erosion. You know, we have 27 miles of coastline, and the last several days, with the swells of the waves, 6 to 12 feet, have really taken a toll on some of the dunes and eroded some of the sand on our beaches,"  Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said. 

Golden said most people have heeded warnings to stay out of flooded roadways. 

In Long Island's Freeport, "it's been a trying weekend," Mayor Robert Kennedy said. 

Kennedy said no homes have been lost in Freeport because of the flooding, fortunately. 

That said, 10-15 cars that attempted to drive through the water. 

See the full interview in the video above. 

Christina Farrell, commissioner of New York City Emergency Management said officials are keeping an eye on the high tide cycle. 

"The other big thing is all the rain, and a lot of downed trees across the city," Farrell said. 

Farrell said there were about 1,850 Con Ed customers without power Sunday morning. 

"I will say the most amount of trees are down, the most amount of reports, are in Queens. We are looking through that. But there are reports of trees or large limbs down in all boroughs, going through that. And then also, not surprisingly with the trees down the largest amount of power outages are also in Queens, although Staten Island has also had some," Farrell said. "But all in all, looking around the region, I think New York City is doing well." 

CBS News New York has a look at conditions around the Tri-State Area as nor'easter continues to impact the area. 

The nor'easter isn't putting the breaks on the 100th annual Feast of San Gennaro in Manhattan's Little Italy. 

Organizers said it will still be open Sunday, despite the storm, and the parade will still take place at 2 p.m.  

As of 8:25 a.m.: 

A ground stop was implemented at LaGuardia Airport Sunday morning due to the storm. The stop was put in place until 9:15 a.m. 

Prior to the stop, there were 126 delays reported at LaGuardia Sunday, and three cancelations. 

At John F. Kennedy International Airport, there were 42 flights delayed, and six cancelations. 

At Newark Liberty International Airport, there were 25 flights delayed, and five cancelations. 

The nor'easter isn't putting a halt to the annual Tunnel to Towers 5k Run & Walk. The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel was closed for the run Sunday morning. 

Many other events in our area were canceled due to the storm, including Saturday's Global Citizen Festival in Central Park. 

Island Park, N.Y. Mayor Michael McGinty spoke with CBS News New York's Carolyn Gusoff about the nor'easter. 

Island Park suffered flooding Saturday, and was severely hit during Superstorm Sandy as well as Irene. 

McGinty said Sunday morning, things were in decent shape so far, ahead of the high tide.

"Our drain system is doing its job. Very little if any property damage. Our resident have been outstanding. They understand, they've moved their cars, they've been a tremendous help to all of us," McGinty said. 

Island Park has made significant investments in drainage. 

"To all our residents here, please, be very careful. Leave your cars where they are. Please, it's important. And, like yesterday, the waters will recede quickly," McGinty said. 

McGinty said that so far the high tide levels seem to be slightly lower than expected, which is good news. 

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine spoke with CBS News New York about conditions there Sunday morning. 

"Conditions aren't that great. We're hoping they'll improve," Romaine said. "We have extreme erosion along some of those ocean fronts, high winds, we have local flooding. We have about 8,000, 9,000 people without power in Patchogue, Blue Point, Huntington and other areas, and we have gusts of up to 60 miles an hour, particularly at the very eastern end of the island at Montauk." 

Romaine said several hundred trees have fallen. 

He urged people not to drive or go out if they don't have to. 

"If you see downed wires, assume that they're live. Please, please don't touch them," Romaine said. 

Romaine said he's working with PSE&G Long Island to restore power. 

Romaine said crews were clearing drains and chopping up fallen trees. 

"We've closed our beaches, because believe it or not we there were people taking a look at the surf, which was amazing. The waves are 10, 12 foot waves coming in from the ocean. So we closed our beaches as a protective matter. So we're out there, getting the job done," Romaine said. 

Romaine said several roadways have seen severe floods. 

"Stay safe. The storm will pass," Romaine said. "It is a serious situation ... we are very concerned about this. I know we're going to have some clean up after the storm. I would urge people - today's a Sunday, if you don't have to leave your home, please stay in." 

Manasquan, N.J. Mayor Michael Mangan recommended residents there voluntarily evacuate, particularly the elderly and those with special needs. 

"We're lucky to have a small town here where we're able to get the message out pretty clearly," Mangan said. "We put the voluntary [evacuation] in place yesterday." 

He said the town saw two "pretty high tides" Saturday, and there was major coastal flooding there yesterday. 

Mangan said he anticipates Sunday's high tide will bring moderate coastal flooding to Manasqaun. 

"It all comes down to the wind, of course. Wind direction, speed, and tempo because that can bring the water in and force it up the high tide," Mangan said. 

Mangan said New Jersey state and Monmouth County officials have been working well together with Manasquan. 

"Manasquan has been prepared for this," Mangan said, adding it's one of the lowest-lying towns in the state. "We have high-water vehicles. We have our volunteer fire crews who are trained for this sort of thing, professional-level training for this sort of water event. Our crews are fantastic. I couldn't be prouder of them." 

Mangan cautioned the nor'easter is "not over yet." 

CBS News New York's John Elliott has a look at the developing conditions of the storm early Sunday morning. 

Long Island residents appear to be bearing the brunt of the power outages so far in this storm. 

As of 6:30 a.m.:

• Con Edison said 1,098 customers were affected
• PSE&G Long Island said there were 24,042 customers were affected
• PSE&G New Jersey said 1,139 customers were affected
• JCPNL said 4,960 customers were affected
• Orange and Rockkland said 1,573 customers were affected

Expect more rain and wind Sunday than we had Saturday. 

"Bottom line, there is more rain and more wind for more of the day for more of the area today," CBS News New York's John Elliott says. 

Click here to check the latest storm warnings, watches, and alerts. 

Though the brunt of the storm was expected to arrive Saturday night into Sunday morning, people across the Tri-State Area still had to deal with flooding earlier in the day on Saturday.

The high tide caused roads and homes in coastal neighborhoods in both New York and New Jersey to flood.

In New Jersey, water inundated streets in Manasquan and Sea Bright.

"I think it's a little worse flooding than Irene in 2011. Nowhere near Sandy," Sea Bright resident Joe Zolik said.

Parts of Howard Beach in Queens saw anywhere from several inches to over a foot of water. Some people were even spotted kayaking down a flooded street.

Residents like Kenneth Cook said they had to hurry to clean up from the morning's flooding before the evening's high tide brought the water back.

Total rainfall totals will average between 2-4 inches across the Tri-State Area. The coast will have higher totals, while northwestern areas won't see as much rain.

Flash flooding is not a huge concern because the storm is taking place over a long period of time, but heavy rain may cause some inland flooding.

A tree fell on a man in Brooklyn on Saturday, killing him.

Police say the man was rushed to a local hospital around 3:30 p.m., but he died from his injuries.

The New York City Housing Authority confirmed the victim was a NYCHA employee. The incident happened near the Cypress Hills Houses Community Center in East New York.

Click here to read more.

Jersey Shore: Periods of heavy rain and strong winds. Rainfall totals: 4-5 inches. Wind gusts up to 60 mph or higher. Moderate to severe coastal flooding. 1-3 feet of inundation. High surf will lead to beach erosion.

Lower Hudson Valley, Central and northern New Jersey: Periods heavy rain and strong winds. Rainfall totals: 2-4 inches. Wind gusts up to 50 mph or higher. Moderate to severe coastal flooding. 1-3 feet of inundation.

Long Island: Periods of heavy rain and strong winds. Rainfall totals: 4-5 inches. Wind gusts up to 60 mph or higher. Moderate to severe coastal flooding. 1-3 feet of inundation. High surf will lead to beach erosion.

NYC: Periods of heavy rain and strong winds. Rainfall totals: 2-4 inches. Wind gusts up to 50 mph or higher. Moderate to severe coastal flooding. 1-3 feet of inundation. High surf will lead to beach erosion.

Western Hudson Valley, Northwestern New Jersey and Northern Connecticut: Periods of moderate to heavy rain and strong winds. Rainfall totals: 1-3 inches. Wind gusts up to 40 mph or higher.

Coastal Connecticut: Periods of heavy rain and strong winds. Rainfall totals: 2-4 inches. Wind gusts up to 50 mph or higher. Moderate to severe coastal flooding. 1-3 feet of inundation.