Northeast braces for potential flooding as multiple rounds of storms move through
By Meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Chris Dolce, CNN
(CNN) — Rounds of storms are dumping rain on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, raising the risk of flash flooding in the already-soaked regions on Thursday.
Flash flooding has been a recurring presence in these regions over the summer: Storms with torrential rain flooded roadways in New York City and New Jersey as recently as last Thursday while also disrupting air travel in the busy corridor.
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More of the same is possible into early Friday morning with multiple rounds of storms to come — some of which could be severe with damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado.
Drenching storms bubbled up late Thursday morning in southeastern Pennsylvania and expended northeast to parts of New Jersey and New York City. A few flash flood warnings were active in the region in the early afternoon, including in parts of New York City.
These storms followed a batch of showers and thunderstorms that impacted parts of northern New Jersey and southern New York early Thursday morning.
A new, more organized round of storms will also develop farther west Thursday afternoon as a cold front moves from the Ohio Valley into the Northeast. This round has the greatest chance to become severe, especially from the mid-afternoon through the evening.
A Level 2 of 5 risk of severe storms is in place from the New York-Vermont border south into northern Virginia. Washington, DC, Philadelphia and portions of New York City are in this risk area.
The strongest storms will lose their punch by midnight, dropping the risk of damaging wind gusts, isolated hail and tornadoes. Even so, rain might not fully come to an end until early Friday morning.
Rainfall rates will exceed 1 inch per hour at times Thursday, which could trigger flash flooding, especially in urban areas.
A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in place Thursday from Washington, DC, into parts of southern New York — including New York City — and Connecticut.
Most areas will see rainfall totals of around 1 to 2 inches, but some places caught under multiple rounds of the heaviest storms could record as much as 3 to 5 inches of rain.
A new round of showers and thunderstorms could develop farther east on Friday, stretching from southern New England into parts of Delaware and Maryland. These storms aren’t currently forecast to be a significant flood threat, but if they roll over any areas that get soaked on Thursday, that may change.
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