A NYC employee has been killed by a falling tree and another person is missing off the coast of New York as a rare and powerful nor'easter ravages the East Coast. 

The 56-year-old city worker was rushed to the hospital on Saturday after a tree fell at 3.24pm, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed to the Daily Mail.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed late Saturday night that the victim was Leighton Brown, an employee of the New York City Housing Authority. 

Brown was at Cypress Hills Houses in Brooklyn when he was fatally struck. Mamdani said his administration was 'mourning the loss of one of our own.' NYCHA also said it was 'deeply saddened' by Brown's death. 

The NYPD called the incident the first 'potentially weather-related' death during the rare early-season nor'easter. Nor'easters typically form as the seasons transition from fall to winter.

A tree also collapsed in the Bronx, injuring four individuals at 5.30pm, a spokesperson for the New York Fire Department confirmed to the Daily Mail. They were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. It was later revealed that two victims were children, ages 1 and 7, and two adults, ages 40 and 41. 

Meanwhile, in Long Island, another person has been reported missing after they were seen in the ocean at Robert Moses State Park and did not come back out, News 12 Long Island reported. 

The man's identity is unknown, but officials said he is white and was wearing dark shorts. The search was suspended overnight and will resume on Sunday. The New York State Police and Park Police are asking for any information on his identity or disappearance.  

'The rain is underway, and while it's only half an inch or so thus far, mark my words, much more is coming,' Hochul said during a briefing on Saturday. 

In a press release, the governor called the storm 'dangerous,' adding that it posed a 'significant risk.'

Mamdani warned Big Apple residents on Friday not to travel over the weekend unless necessary. 

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said in a video message on Saturday afternoon that a lull in drastic weather does not mean the storm is over. She urged residents to 'stay vigilant' as the nor'easter gained traction.

Later in the day, Hochul said the nor'easter was already 'bearing down' on coastal areas in Long Island, New York City and Westchester County. New York and New Jersey have declared a state of emergency. 

Flooding in a New Jersey motel required emergency assistance. The Pleasantville Fire Department rescued nine adults and one dog after the first floor flooded.  

A 15-foot wave was reported at the New York Harbor entrance on Saturday morning. Flooding has ravaged parts of Queens, with some even taking to the streets with kayaks. 

Nicholas Isabella shared footage of multiple kayakers wading through the water outside a subway station in Howard Beach. 

Kayakers were also seen gliding down a residential street in Queens as water flooded nearby businesses. 

Atlantic City has seen severe flooding, reaching its highest level since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. 

New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew wrote on X that South Jersey was seeing 'some of the worst flooding' since the historic superstorm. 

Massachusetts has also faced dangerous conditions. Massive waves were seen crashing into a seawall in Scituate. 

Saturday night's full moon has added to the massive waves on the Northeastern coastline. 

As of early Sunday morning, over 131,000 Americans were without power, according to the live tracking site Power Outage. 

Connecticut had the most outages, with just under 30,000 homes without power. About 26,000 families in New York were without power, while about 18,000 in Virginia were without power. 

Massachusetts also had about 15,000 homes without power. Maine, Michigan, and Pennsylvania had about 5,000 without power, while about 3,000 homes in New Jersey were in the dark. 

Power outages are expected to increase as wind gusts reach 60 mph, and New Yorkers can expect 3 to 6 inches of rainfall. 

Northern New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley are expecting about 2 to 6 inches, while Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut are expecting about 4 to 6 inches. 

The storm has disrupted Americans' travel plans nationwide, with over 2,000 flights delayed and more than 430 canceled on Saturday. 

The Global Citizen Festival in Central Park and the All Things Go Festival in Queens were also canceled this weekend because of the storm.