 Satellite image of the nor'easter | |
| Type | Nor'easter |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 2, 1992 |
| Dissipated | January 4, 1992 |
| Highest gust | 89 mph (143 km/h) at Chincoteague, Virginia |
| Lowest pressure | 993 mb (29.3 inHg)[1] |
| Fatalities | 1 total |
| Damage | $63 million (1992 USD) |
| Areas affected | Mid-Atlantic States, New England |
The January 1992 nor'easter was the second in a series of nor'easters in a 14-month period that produced strong winds, high tides, and flooding along the East Coast of the United States. It was a small, short-lived storm that was poorly forecast, intensifying rapidly on January 4 before striking the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The strongest quadrant of the storm moved over Delaware, and winds in the state reached 58 mph (93 km/h). The nor'easter weakened as it moved westward, and it dissipated over Virginia before the energy reformed and redeveloped offshore.
In North Carolina, the storm flooded the main highway connecting the Outer Banks. The nor'easter struck shortly during a new moon, producing high tides that resulted in significant beach erosion along the Delmarva Peninsula. The highest wind gust was 89 mph (143 km/h), reported in Chincoteague, Virginia. The cost of the lost beach near Ocean City, Maryland was estimated at over $10 million (1992 USD). In the city, the storm destroyed the tidal gauge, although the storm surge was estimated at 6.6 ft (2.0 m). The strongest quadrant of the storm moved over Delaware; in the state, strong easterly winds produced significant tidal flooding, and 500 houses were damaged. A high tide of 9.02 ft (2.75 m) at Dewey Beach was the second highest tide on record in the entire state. Flooding also affected South Jersey in many areas that experienced flooding from the 1991 Perfect Storm in the previous October. Damage was estimated at $45 million (1992 USD). Strong winds reached as far north as New York, where a fallen tree seriously injured a person driving a car. Freezing rain associated with the storm caused a traffic fatality in New York, as well as several accidents in Maine.