Water rescues underway after flash flooding wallops parts of Northeast with 53 million at risk through Monday
After one cold front stalled out and died over the Northeast and mid-Atlantic at the end of last week, another one is on its heels and is expected to deliver severe weather and heavy rain that could lead to flooding as millions of people prepare for the new workweek.
Water rescues were reported to be underway Sunday in many communities in the Lower Hudson Valley and the National Weather Service office issued are rare Flash Flood Emergency for towns around West Point in New York.
Doppler radar estimates indicate around half a foot of rainfall occurred in areas of Orange County, New York, over a short time period leading to flash flooding.
Nearly 53 million at risk of flooding through Monday morning
Because of the risk of several inches of rain, the National Weather Service issued Flood Watches that stretch from eastern North Carolina to northern New England, with nearly 53 million people included in these alerts.
Most major cities in the Megalopolis along Interstate 95 are under the Flood Watch, including Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
Other cities at risk of seeing flooding include Hatteras in North Carolina, Norfolk in Virginia, Binghamton in New York, Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut and Burlington in Vermont.
While flooding is possible across much of the Eastern Seaboard from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast and New England, millions of Americans from Washington through Philadelphia, New York City and the state of Vermont face the most serious risk.
Generally, 1 to 2 inches of rain will likely fall across the region through Tuesday. But the highest rain totals are expected across portions of the Northeast and New England.
About 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall in New York’s Hudson Valley and the Albany, New York, area through western Massachusetts and into Vermont and New Hampshire in northern New England.
Some areas, however, could see rain totals between 3 and 5 inches over the next few days.
Rainfall is welcome news in communities dealing with drought conditions
Before the rain began, more than 60% of the Northeast was facing either dry or drought conditions.
The lack of precipitation over the winter and through the first half of 2023 has caused farmers to rely on irrigation instead of Mother Nature’s natural sprinkler system.
Observation sites around Washington report being around 7 inches below average, while New York’s Central Park has over a 3-inch rainfall deficit.
Unlike in the Plains, no counties in the Northeast are experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions.
