Rare September nor'easter could bring coastal flooding, gusty winds to the Northeast

A potent storm could develop into a rare September nor'easter later this week, raising concerns for coastal flooding, wind damage and rain in parts of the Northeast.

A quick refresher: A nor'easter is a strong coastal storm that gets its name from the direction its punishing winds come from - northeast. Nor'easters typically develop off the East Coast between Georgia and southern New England and are most common from mid-fall to mid-spring. The storms are typically major snowmakers in the winter, but that's not a factor this time.

Right now, the potential nor'easter is just a twinkle in the atmosphere's eye. It's forecast to form off the coast of the Carolinas or Virginia sometime Wednesday or Thursday.

It will likely strengthen from that point and peak in strength this weekend. But where exactly the storm tracks as it heads north is still in question.