NEW YORK — A growing threat of severe flash flooding is looming for almost 60 million individuals across the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and southern New England, as heavy rainfall is expected to continue until Monday night.
The region has been experiencing heavy rain and thunderstorms over the weekend, already saturating the soil and setting the stage for flash flooding on Monday, particularly around New York City.
According to NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center, a Level 3 flash flood risk has been issued for New York City, Long Island, coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southeastern Massachusetts.
A Level 2/4 risk spans from central Massachusetts to the lower Hudson Valley in New York and New Jersey, the Delmarva River, and into western Pennsylvania. This affects major cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.
Severe storms impacted the area late Friday and throughout the Fourth of July holiday, leading to the cancellation of some outdoor events.
Powerful winds resulted in more than 280,000 customers losing electricity early Monday, as trees and power lines fell.
On Sunday, heavy rainfall prompted New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani to urge residents in basement apartments to prepare for potential evacuations. Public schools were opened as evacuation centers late Sunday.
Forecasts indicate that Monday’s heavy showers could bring about 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour, with total storm accumulations expected to reach between 3 to 6 inches across the area, and isolated spots possibly exceeding 8 inches.
Flood watches are in effect for over 40 million people until Monday night.
