A slow-moving cold front approaching the East Coast on Monday has caused floods and heavy rain in key cities along the I-95 Corridor.
A level 3 out of 4 danger for flash flooding has been identified for parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including major cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
In response to the flash floods, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency, urging citizens to avoid the highways.
The Tri-State Area, experiencing its highest rainfall, has reported water rescues, subway station floods, and hazardous traffic conditions. Major airports around the Northeast reported ground stop delays, while busy commuter railroads such as the New York City Subway, NJ Transit, and Grand Central’s Metro-North experienced severe delays or had service suspended.
The FOX Forecast Center said that New York City had its second wettest hour on record, with 2.07″ of rain falling between 7 and 8PM. This record trailed just the 3.47″ that fell in one hour from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
A heightened flash flood threat occurs from eastern Pennsylvania to North Carolina. Rainfall totals might quickly increase if any storms stall over the same area. With near-record moisture levels, storms may deliver rain rates of up to 3 inches per hour, particularly in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
In storms that continually pass over the same area, some isolated spots may receive 3–5 inches of rain in a matter of hours.
In these places, the ground is saturated from recent rain, so any further rain will cause flash flooding. Some of these storms may intensify, producing strong and damaging gusts that could uproot trees because the ground is already saturated.
After Monday, the FOX Forecast Center predicts that rain will become more dispersed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Although not everyone will see rain, the majority will continue to have gloomy skies.
A fresh round of rain is expected to hit the East by Thursday. Storms will form in the Midwest and eventually spread to the East when another cold front passes through. These events will just help to stack the rain totals higher across places that do not require any additional rain.
By Saturday, the East should experience a drying period, although it may not last long as the region remains trapped in this rainy pattern.
