Storm Henri: Rare tropical storm in United States throws life out of gear

Tropical storm Henri slammed into Rhode Island on the US east coast, knocking out power to thousands of Americans, uprooting trees and bringing record rainfall before weakening as it moved across New England. Henri is a rare tropical storm to strike America's northeastern seaboard and comes as the surface layer of oceans warms due to climate change.

Tropical storm Henri slammed into Rhode Island on the US east coast, knocking out power to thousands of Americans, uprooting trees and bringing record rainfall before weakening as it moved across New England. Credit: AFP Photo

The storm, earlier downgraded from a Category 1 Hurricane, hit land near the town of Westerly, the National Weather Service said. Credit: Reuters Photo

Henri is a rare tropical storm to strike America's northeastern seaboard and comes as the surface layer of oceans warms due to climate change. Credit: AFP Photo

The warming is causing cyclones to become more powerful and carry more water, posing an increasing threat to the world's coastal communities, scientists say. Credit: AFP Photo

Millions of residents in New England and New York's Long Island had been told to prepare for violent winds, days without electricity and storm surges of up to five feet. Credit: Reuters Photo

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Henri brought maximum sustained gusts of 60 mph, lower than the 75 mph gusts predicted earlier. Credit: AFP Photo

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said there was

Residents on Long Island, home to the plush Hamptons villages where wealthy New Yorkers retreat in summer, expressed relief that the storm's path had skirted east of them. Credit: AFP Photo

In Newark, New Jersey, flash flooding caused havoc with emergency services rescuing 86 people, including 16 children, from submerged vehicles. Credit: AFP Photo

In Helmetta, 30 miles south, volunteer firefighters waded through water waist deep to help evacuate residents from waterlines rising dangerously close to their homes. Credit: AFP Photo

Some 79,000 people lost power in Rhode Island and another 33,000 suffered blackouts in Connecticut, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. Credit: Reuters Photo

More than 200 flights were cancelled at Newark airport while New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports cancelled almost 200 between them, they said. Credit: AFP Photo

By the time it blows out, Henri is expected to have produced three to six inches of rain (7.5 to 15 centimeters) across the region, with isolated maximum totals near 12 inches, the NHC said. Credit: AFP Photo

Before the downgrade, Henri was set to be the first hurricane to hit New England in 30 years. Hurricane Bob in 1991 killed at least 17 people. Credit: Reuters Photo

The warnings also reignited memories of Hurricane Sandy, a more powerful storm that knocked out power for much of Manhattan and flooded subways in 2012. Credit: Reuters Photo