Subtropical Storm Josephine brought gale-force winds and coastal flooding to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard on Thursday, October 22, 2026, as it moved northeast away from the coast. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) described the system as a powerful extratropical low with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. While the storm center remained offshore, it generated large swells and hazardous surf conditions along the Atlantic coast.
Forecasters noted that Josephine gained tropical characteristics on Wednesday, October 21, after previously affecting the Carolina and Mid-Atlantic coasts as a nor’easter. An extratropical cyclone, as defined by the NHC, is a system that has lost its tropical characteristics and draws energy from the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses. By Thursday afternoon, the storm was centered approximately 235 miles east-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service issued gale warnings for parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, effective through Friday morning. Wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph were forecast for eastern Long Island and eastern Massachusetts, with gusts potentially exceeding 50 mph on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Vance was located 490 miles south of Acapulco, Mexico, with winds of 65 mph and was forecast to reach major hurricane strength by the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center reported that large swells could create life-threatening rip currents and surf conditions, impacting the coast up to Atlantic Canada. In the mid-Atlantic, minor to moderate coastal flooding is expected to persist through the week. Specifically, moderate flooding is forecast to linger in the Chesapeake Bay through Friday morning, October 23.
Wind speeds exceeded 39 mph across several states with gusts reaching 50 mph in island communities. Small watercraft operators as far south as North Carolina's Outer Banks faced hazardous conditions. Residents in eastern Massachusetts and Long Island will notice these gusts and potential showers through Friday, though rainfall totals are expected to remain low.
Josephine is forecast to gain further strength and become a powerful extratropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds by Thursday night or Friday, October 23, as it moves toward the south of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. While the storm is expected to move away from the United States, coastal flooding and hazardous surf will remain a concern until winds subside over the weekend. Final impacts on Canadian Atlantic provinces will be determined as the storm continues its northeast trajectory.