After reaching Rhode Island, Tropical Storm Henri was downgraded to a tropical depression. However, during Sunday night, Aug. 22, power outages, flooding and record rainfall were reported in the Northeast United States.

 

On Monday, Aug. 23, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted in its bulletin that Henri was "nearly stationary" and winds had dropped to 30 miles per hour, far less than the 120 miles per hour that had been projected. The dip came as the storm made landfall in Rhode Island.

 

Also that morning, more than 44,000 were without power in Rhode Island, as Poweroutage.us reported.

 

Dan McKee, Rhode Island's governor, said during a press conference on Sunday that there was "significant flooding in some areas" and that "the storm was not as bad as feared." McKee also mentioned on Monday that electric utilities are being rushed to restore power, as high temperatures are forecast the following day. 

 

In New Jersey, flooding wreaked havoc and emergency services rescued 86 people, including 16 children, from submerged vehicles on Sunday.

 

Nearly 500 flights were canceled at John F. Kennedy, Newark and La Guardia airports. 

 

President Joe Biden said the country is doing everything it can to respond and recover from the storm. He also urged caution in the face of flooding in the various parts of the Northeast.

 

"It's important to monitor the situation and be prepared in your homes and neighborhood. Make sure you have supplies for your home, including necessary medications, food, water and battery-powered radios in case of prolonged power outages," the president said during a late afternoon press conference on Monday.

 

Although Henri has weakened, more than 49 million people remain under flood watches, including coastal flood warnings from New Jersey to New Hampshire, meteorologist Michael Guy said.

 

Sam Phillips, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), said the institution discouraged "any act of what is described as disaster tourism." 

 

"We would really like people to stay home and listen to the warnings," she stressed in closing. 

 

In Tennessee, a series of flash floods, separate from Henri, left 22 dead and dozens missing, mainly in the Nashville area. Biden also expressed his condolences to those affected and said FEMA was ready to offer the necessary assistance.