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East Coast Braces for ‘Life and Death’ Winter Storm

Dangerous mix of rain, snow, and high winds expected to pummel Northeast.

Residents along the East Coast on Thursday were warned to brace for a “life and death situation” ahead of a powerful winter storm expected to pummel the area with high winds, heavy rain, and snow over the weekend. The National Weather Service’s Boston branch urged residents to “take this storm seriously” on Twitter late Thursday, issuing a coastal flood warning that said homes are likely to be destroyed. Meteorologists have said the storm will wreak havoc from the Carolinas to Portland, Maine, throughout Friday and into Saturday. Some parts of New York are expected to get as much as 10 inches of snow, while other areas in the state and along the coast are likely to see up to 4 inches of rain. The dire forecasts prompted numerous weather advisories, with the governors of New York and Massachusetts taking emergency precautions. Kim Buttrick, a Weather Service meteorologist out of Massachusetts, told The New York Times the storm has “the markings of setting records” and could ultimately “change the topography of coastal communities.”