MUST SEE: 'Bomb cyclone' flooding freezes Boston solid
Friday, January 5, 2018, 22:28 - A powerful blizzard battered the Northeast on Thursday, knocking out power for tens of thousands of people and snarling travel amid a long cold snap that has gripped much of the United States for more than a week and killed more than a dozen people.
More than a foot of snow was reported in Boston, while 17.5 inches in the northeastern suburbs. But the snow was only part of the problem for the city, as intense winds drove seawater inland during the heart of the storm.
Combined with high tides, some areas in Massachusetts experienced significant coastal flooding, with seawater rising near buildings, including a hotel and along Boston's historic Long Wharf (see tweets below), a popular tourist attraction. The water tied a four-decade-old flood record, the National Weather Service's office said.
Boston officials briefly thought they would need to a evacuate a shelter near the flooded areas, according to a Reuters report.
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But worse was still yet to come, when the winds shifted as the low passed by offshore, turning the onshore gale to viciously-cold winds from the northwest, and turning some of the flood water to ice.
Below is a closer look at some of the devastating impacts:
Deep freeze
Coastal Erosion, flooding
Boston firefighters wade through a street flooded from tidal surge during Storm Grayson in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Snow
Pedestrians walk through blinding snow across the Brooklyn Bridge during Storm Grayson in New York City, U.S., January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz
Pedestrians walk through blinding snow across the Brooklyn Bridge during Storm Grayson in New York City, U.S., January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz
Pedestrians walk through The Battery during Storm Grayson in New York, U.S., January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
A delivery person on a bicycle makes his way though Times Square during Storm Grayson in New York City, New York, U.S., January 4, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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With files from Reuters