Tens of millions of Americans endured bone-chilling temperatures, blizzard conditions, power outages and canceled holiday gatherings Friday from a winter storm that forecasters said was nearly unprecedented in its scope, exposing about 60% of the U.S. population to some sort of winter weather advisory or warning.
From Connecticut up to Maine, high tides and a powerful storm surge brought coastal flooding Friday, shutting down major roads.
Friday's storm was bringing a potent mix of powerful winds -- in some places reaching hurricane force -- and heavy rain.
Stretches of Rhode Island's Atlantic coast were seeing heavy flooding. Providence engaged its hurricane barrier in response to the high water, while several other cities, including Narragansett and Portsmouth, closed streets that were being flooded by the storm.
Please avoid Park Ave until further notice. @RIDOTNews currently has Park Ave at Aquidneck Ave blocked, Boyd’s Ln at Norseman Drive blocked and Park Ave at Schultzy’s blocked.
If you need to get in, or get out of Island Park, please use the Hummocks End pic.twitter.com/4m2K8jzZIv
In the Boston area, a stretch of Winthrop Parkway in Revere was closed as a floodgate was engaged, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said.
Massachusetts State Police warned of closures along the North Shore, including in Lynn and the Nahant Causway
Numerous coastal roadways in Troop A are closed due to flooding, including the Nahant Causeway, the Lynnway at Market St, and Lynn Shore Drive at the Swampscott line. #MATraffic
NBC10 Boston
Massachusetts state officials work to clear water off a Storrow Drive on-ramp in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
NBC10 Boston/Stringer
A car and a falling tree collided in Wakefield, Massachusetts, early Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Handout
An unoccupied pickup truck in Salisbury, Massachusetts, was crushed by a shipping container amid high winds and downpours overnight, police said Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. They warned about dangerous driving conditions.
NBC10 Boston
A house in North Andover, Massachusetts, where a tree fell amid high winds on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Norton Police Department
In Norton, Massachusetts, winds knocked down the gazebo in the town square as well as trees onto roads amid a powerful storm on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
NBC10 Boston
A woman takes a picture of a wave crashing ashore on Winthrop, Massachusetts, amid a storm on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
NBC10 Boston
Waves crash ashore in Winthrop, Massachusetts, amid heavy flooding up and down the New England coast caused by an intense storm on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
WJAR-TV
Waves crash ashore at Narragansett, Rhode Island, amid a storm that was causing coastal flooding in New England on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Town of Barnstable
Flooding in Barnstable, Massachusetts, as a storm sent water surging across New England’s coast on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Several roads in Salisbury were washed out during Friday's storm.
This sea foam in Wells, Maine, was one of the wildest images to come out of Friday's storm.
Rain water washed out a portion of Nutes Road in Milton, New Hampshire.
Swasey Parkway in Exeter, New Hampshire, was completely underwater on Friday.
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Water floods a street during high tide, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. Winter weather is blanketing the U.S. More than 200 million people — about 60% of the U.S. population — were under some form of winter weather advisory or warning on Friday.
Norton, MA Police
@NEREVSKIPETE
Flooding Friday in Woods Hole, a neighborhood in Falmouth, MA.
Flooded roads in Provincetown.
Flooding in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Market Basket in North Andover, Mass., lost power Friday as shoppers ran out to grab last-minute Christmas groceries.
The overnight rain was too much for the North River in Salem, Mass., it spilled over onto Commercial Street, stranding at least four cars.
Vittorio George left an appointment at the courthouse in Salem and found his Cadillac SUV partially under water.
The wind was relentless in Portland, Maine, causing coastal flooding.
In the Merrimack Valley Friday evening, thousands of people were without power after the storm knocked out trees and utility poles, and took out power lines. National Grid says this was their hardest hit area.
Owen Thomas told NBC10 Boston’s John Moroney that he’s always wanted to kayak on Morrissey Boulevard. Thanks to Friday’s flooding, he was finally able to achieve his dream.
In Portland, Maine, streets flooded and docks rose to the level of their piers. The National Weather Service issued a rare hurricane-force wind warning for parts of the southeastern Maine coast Friday morning.
A little hard to see because of the rain into the camera but the Casablanca is floating almost level with the deck at Porthole pic.twitter.com/e95jRmTkiu
— Dustin Wlodkowski NBC10 Boston (@DUSTINnbcboston) December 23, 2022
A shot that captures this storm as it sweeps into Portland- rising sea water on the city’s waterfront flooding a pier in front of a lobster trap tree pic.twitter.com/mBtYAFxyj2
— Dustin Wlodkowski NBC10 Boston (@DUSTINnbcboston) December 23, 2022
As crews work to repair damages caused by the winter storm, another surge of wind and rain is likely in the late afternoon.
Inland flooding was possible amid all the rain as well, with downpours putting some rivers at risk of overflowing their banks.
What's driving all this flooding? A mass of cold air that's been unleashed from the Great Plains and has manifested into an immense storm. After it passes and as the wind dies down, temperatures will plummet.
