According to Jay Engle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton, New York, the city should expect “widespread” minor to moderate coastal flooding of 1.5-2.5 feet; “major flooding” is forecast for Long Island, as of Saturday morning.

The threat of a coastal storm this weekend in the NYC area is beginning to take shape, with the possibility of heavy rain, high winds and coastal flooding for the region. Here's a timeline of rain and list of potential impacts.

Showers and storms will move through the tri-state area Thursday and Thursday night before conditions dry out on Friday. Isolated storms could become severe or cause isolated flooding. According to the National Weather Service in New York,

Forecasters say its strength and exact path will determine how severe the impacts are in New York. Coastal communities from the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic could face higher tides, strong northeast winds and beach erosion — especially if the storm tracks closer to the shore.

While it’s still too early to predict any precise impacts in New York, early forecasts suggest that wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph could affect New York City and Long Island between Sunday and Monday. Up to 4 inches of rain is also possible across the metro area during the same period, forecasters said.

New York City residents in coastal neighborhoods are urged to take caution as there is high confidence that this weekend’s storms will cause coastal flooding. “The coastal flooding is I think what concerns me,