The November 2006 nor'easter was a powerful extratropical cyclone that formed offshore of the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

on November 20, bringing heavy rains, high winds, beach erosion, and

coastal flooding Coastal flooding normally occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged by seawater. The range of a coastal flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coastal land ...

to the Carolinas and southern

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

. In addition, the earliest snowfall ever noted in both Charleston, South Carolina and

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

occurred on the southwest side of this cyclone. Over 10,000 were without power during the storm. No longer a

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use ...

, the extratropical cyclone accelerated rapidly across the North Atlantic while rapidly strengthening, becoming a cyclonic storm again by November 25, but this time with hurricane-force sustained winds. The intense low made a cyclonic loop west of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

, before being absorbed by another strengthening extratropical cyclone to the west of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

, late on December 1.

Meteorological synopsis

A shortwave moved through the southern stream of the polar jet of the Westerlies, dropping temperatures in its wake across the southeast United States.

Cyclogenesis Cyclogenesis is the development or strengthening of cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere (a low-pressure area). Cyclogenesis is an umbrella term for at least three different processes, all of which result in the development of some sort of cycl ...

spurred a developing surface cyclone which quickly occluded on November 20. Surface pressure gradient between this cyclone and a sprawling high stretching around its periphery from

into the Deep South led to strong winds in the Carolinas. The cyclone deepened to a central pressure of before swinging westward into the

Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

on November 22. At this time, a trio of upper-level shortwaves were rotating around the main closed cyclone aloft, which spurred development of a new, weaker low pressure center offshore North Carolina. This cyclone was weaker after its interaction with North Carolina until it reached New England, when renewed strengthening led to significant impacts across Long Island and southern New England. The system then began accelerating east-northeast while continuing to slowly strengthen, passing offshore Atlantic Canada on November 24. The cyclone subsequently bombed, or strengthened quite rapidly, and accelerated east-northeast, becoming a

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

-force storm in the far north Atlantic with a central pressure of by the afternoon of November 25 and peaking at by the morning of November 26. Slow weakening occurred soon afterward as the system slowed down and turned towards

. By the evening of November 27, its central pressure had increased to while located a couple hundred miles south of Iceland. The cyclone continued to loop cyclonically west of Iceland, absorbing a cyclone along the way as it passed southwest off the southern tip of

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

, before a developing gale approaching Great Britain absorbed this cyclone late on December 1.

Preparations

There had been indications in the forecast model guidance as early as the first week of November that

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloud cover, cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmos ...

would be unsettled/rainy across the eastern United States around November 23. Within seven days of the event, medium range forecasts generally maintained the idea of a coastal storm offshore the Southeast, though its progression out to sea remained uncertain until November 21, after the cyclone actually formed offshore the Southeast United States and began edging northeast.

Virginia

On the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...

, officials restricted the types of vehicles that could cross the span between

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

and the Eastern Shore to cars and pickup trucks.

Poquoson Poquoson (), informally known as Bull Island, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,460. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York Count ...

Public Schools were closed, and the Midtown Tunnel between

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

was shut down because of the possibility of flooding. Sandbags surrounded buildings at Langley Air Force Base, which lies above sea level, and all computers and electrical equipment were waterproofed.

Maryland

The Maryland State Highway Administration worked to clear storm drains of branches and leaves and called in more patrollers to assist motorists in the event of an accident or stranded vehicle. The administration also prepared for falling branches, by making sure the department's chain saws had enough gas.

Effects

Florida

Snow flurries fell as far south as

central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...

on the backside of this system. Snow flurries were reported in

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

, and

Volusia Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2 ...

Counties. It was the earliest snow had ever fallen this far south, and only the second time on record snow had fallen in Florida in November.

Georgia

Snow mixed in with rain around noon on November 21, which led to the earliest trace of snow on record in Savannah. Just inland, 5–7 inches of snow fell across extreme southeast

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

South Carolina

Heavy rains fell across northern portions of the state, with measured at Chester. Snow mixed in with rain during the morning of November 21, leading to the earliest trace of snow on record in Charleston. Also, as the snow mixed in, thunder was heard, which is the first report of

thundersnow Thundersnow, also known as a winter thunderstorm or a thundersnowstorm, is a kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain. It is considered a rare and unusual phenomenon. It typically falls in regions of s ...

in the history of Charleston. An inch of snow was reported just inland. Winds gusted to at Folly Beach. The combination of pounding surf and high winds led to moderate to heavy beach erosion at

Hunting Island Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

, Folly Beach,

Isle of Palms An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * I ...

Wild Dunes Wild Dunes is an oceanfront resort on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, United States. It is on the north end of the island and has controlled-access gates. Information Wild Dunes was developed in 1972. Wild Dunes has two famous golf courses on it ...

, and Sullivan's Island.

North Carolina

Heavy rainfall fell throughout central and eastern

, with the maximum amount of measured at Sandy Run. This

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

combined with high tides led to river flooding across the eastern half of the state, and led to

Raleigh-Durham International Airport The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to th ...

setting a record for its wettest November on record, breaking the record from 1948. The combination of wind and rain led to the downing of numerous trees. Winds gusted to 70 knots (80 mph) at Alligator River, with numerous gusts above 50 knots (60 mph) throughout the

, leading to beach erosion and coastal flooding, with Highway 12 being overwashed by the surge south of

Oregon Inlet Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by the 2.8 mile Marc Basnight Bridge that spans the inlet. As one of th ...

. Power went out to 1,250 in northeastern sections of the state.Steve Stone
Storm brings high winds, heavy flooding.
Retrieved at 2236 UTC on 2006-11-24. The combination of coastal flooding and heavy rains led to the Lumber River rising to above flood stage. In Nags Head, 54 homes were condemned due to damage from this cyclone. At sea, the container ship Courtney L lost four containers on November 22 or 23 due to the storm. One of them, which contained

Doritos Doritos () is an American brand of flavored tortilla chips produced since 1964 by Frito-Lay, a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo. The original Doritos were not flavored. The first flavor was Toasted Corn, released in 1966, followed by Taco in ...

bound for Costa Rica, was eventually washed ashore near

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shap ...

Virginia

High winds lashed extreme southeast sections of the state. The highest wind gust reported was from the first island on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel at 9:45 a.m. EST. In southeast sections of the state, over 9000 went without power. Moderate to heavy rain fell across the tidewater, with .National Weather Service
Public Information Statements: Virginia.
Retrieved at 1240 UTC on 2006-11-24. One person perished when the car he was driving hydroplaned and subsequently crashed. A brief period of sleet was experienced across

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

on the morning of November 22 as moisture from the storm moved in from a northeast-to-southwest track. This form of precipitation is rare for the area in mid-November, but was quickly replaced by driving rainfall as warmer air from the Atlantic pushed inland. Steady rain persisted throughout the afternoon and evening of the 22nd, with a mix of showers and moderate-to-heavy mist occurring throughout Thanksgiving Day, November 23.

Maryland

Winds as high as lashed Assateague Island. The highest rainfall amount reported was from Ocean City.

Delaware

Georgetown reported a record rainfall for November 22, when was measured; a total of fell.National Weather Service
Public Information Statements: Pennsylvania.
Retrieved at 1321 UTC on 2006-11-24.

Pennsylvania

Rainfall amounts ranged at high as at Lehighton.

New Jersey

Winds peaked at at both

Cape May Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The so ...

Harbor and Ocean City. At

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

, the that fell on November 23 set a daily precipitation record for the date.National Weather Service
Public Information Statements: New York.
Retrieved at 1249 UTC on 2006-11-24. The highest amount noted was at the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

site in Atlantic City. An

oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

toppled onto a house located in West Deptford Township. A tree also got caught in a power line in Vivian Court, so the electric power had to be cut, so the power line could be cleared of the tree. A traffic light and some trees were also damaged in

Northfield Northfield may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland * Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland * Northfield, Birmingham, England * Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England United States * Northfield, Connec ...

. Minor flooding was also reported in some back-bays, which forced some intersections to be closed.

New York

Low level

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizont ...

led to moderate delays of an hour or more at major airports within the megalopolis on the morning of November 22, the day before Thanksgiving in the United States. At Kennedy Airport, of rainfall set a daily precipitation record for November 23. The highest amount reported was at Shoreham.National Weather Service Forecast Office, Upton, New York
Public Information Statement.
Retrieved at 2217 UTC on 2006-11-24. Around

Binghamton Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

, a light coating of ice covered surfaces as a slight amount of freezing rain fell.

Connecticut

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

, rainfall of fell on November 23, setting a daily rainfall record. The highest amount reported was at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Rhode Island

High winds downed a telephone pole in

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

, and numerous tree limbs throughout the state.National Weather Service
Public Information Statements: Massachusetts.
Retrieved at 1349 UTC on 2006-11-24. Downtown Providence reported of rainfall on November 23 and November 24.National Weather Service Forecast Office, Boston, Massachusetts.
Public Information Statement.
Retrieved at 2208 UTC on 2006-11-24. This rain led to minor flooding of the

Pawtuxet River The Pawtuxet River, also known as the Pawtuxet River Main Stem and the Lower Pawtuxet, is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ac ...

in Cranston, an area hard-hit by the flooding in October, 2005.Associated Press
Pawtuxet River crests above flood stage, homes flooded.
Retrieved on 2006-11-26.

Massachusetts

High winds downed numerous tree limbs throughout the state. A total of of rainfall fell in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

as of the morning of November 24.National Weather Service
Selected Cities Forecast.
Retrieved at 1303 UTC on 2006-11-24. The highest amount reported was at Hingham.

References

Meteorological synopsis

Preparations

Virginia

Maryland

Effects

Florida

Georgia

South Carolina

North Carolina

Virginia

Maryland

Delaware

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

New York

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Massachusetts

See also

References