Nor'easters by the Numbers

摘要

Nearly 50 million people live in the densely populated Northeast corridor. Most years, one or more heavy snowstorms cripple some of the region's cities, from Washington and Baltimore to New York and Boston. These snowstorms, often called nor'easters, typically develop over the Gulf of Mexico or the warm Gulf Stream waters during the fall and winter. They can rapidly deepen off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and move toward the north-northeast. The powerful pressure gradient and attendant gales generate high seas that batter the coastline, frequently harm fragile ecosystems, and damage the shore in a manner similar to landfalling hurricanes. The aftermath of a significant coastal storm can reverberate for years throughout estuaries and tourist towns along the coast.