This latest threat comes from the same deadly system that blasted the South with severe weather on Wednesday, prompting numerous Tornado Warnings and Flash Flood Emergencies.
Powerful system to engulf eastern US The intensifying low-pressure system is expected to track northeast toward the Great Lakes throughout the day on Thursday and into Thursday night.
The FOX Forecast Center said about 1-2 inches of rain could fall from the mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes.
Flooding possible despite lower rain totals In terms of rainfall totals, the FOX Forecast Center really isn’t expecting blockbuster totals.
Providence has seen a whopping 26.07 inches of rain since Jan. 1, and Hartford has seen just over 20 inches.
“Heavy rainfall along with warm temperatures will cause rapid melting of snowpack from the foothills northward,” the National Weather Service said.
Flooding will also extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays, resulting in more road closures and possibly even flooded vehicles.
The Coastal Flood Warnings also extend into northern Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, and western New Jersey.
Following a warm start to the week in the Northeast, focus has now shifted to the possibility of more intense rain, which began on Wednesday and put millions of people in danger of flooding.
This most recent threat originates from the same deadly system that on Wednesday pounded the South with extreme weather, leading to multiple flash flood emergencies and tornado warnings.
Strong system to swallow up eastern US.
Throughout Thursday and into Thursday night, the escalating low-pressure system is predicted to track northeast toward the Great Lakes.
The eastern part of the US will be covered in increasingly heavy rain as it moves northeast, with the heaviest rain falling close to and along the system’s track.
From the mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, the FOX Forecast Center predicted that 1-2 inches of rain could fall.
In addition, the majority of the eastern United States, including the Great Lakes, Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast, will be at risk from strong wind gusts due to the system’s size and strength.
The FOX Forecast Center predicts wind gusts as high as 40 mph to occur throughout the region, extending from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, to New York City and Boston.
Even with reduced rainfall, flooding is still possible.
The FOX Forecast Center isn’t really anticipating record-breaking rainfall totals.
Through Saturday, the majority of the areas affected by this system will only see one to two inches of rain, with some locally higher amounts of two to three inches in parts of northern New England, upstate New York, and Pennsylvania.
The region has been battered by nonstop rain since the beginning of the year, though, leaving the ground already extremely saturated.
Indeed, some of the wettest starts to the year on record are being experienced in Providence, Rhode Island; Wilmington, Delaware; and Hartford, Connecticut.
Since January, Providence has received an incredible 26.07 inches of rain. 1, and Hartford has received slightly more than 20 inches.
Wilmington has received almost 19 inches.
It goes without saying that flash flooding could result from even small amounts of precipitation.
Due to that risk, millions of people from the Ohio Valley eastward into the mid-Atlantic and parts of the central Appalachian Mountains—which are still recuperating from last week’s deadly flooding—are under a Level 2 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall on Thursday, according to NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC).
In parts of northern New England, including New Hampshire and Maine, there is still a chance of flooding from rain and snowmelt.
The National Weather Service stated that “heavy rainfall and warm temperatures will cause rapid melting of snowpack from the foothills northward.”.
As a result, there will be more runoff into rivers and streams. The possibility of both flash and river flooding will be supported by moderate to heavy rainfall on partially frozen ground. “.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch that is valid through Friday morning, meaning that flooding is also possible in some areas of Ohio and Indiana.
The National Weather Service stated that flooding brought on by heavy rain is still a possibility.
Up to an inch of rain has already fallen, and between now and Friday morning, another half-inch to an inch of rain is predicted. “.
Additionally, there have been signs of coastal flooding throughout the East Coast, extending from the mid-Atlantic states of the Carolinas to New England’s Massachusetts.
Strong onshore winds and astronomically high tides pose a threat to coastal communities by flooding them.
Many Maryland counties, including Ocean City and Salisbury, have issued coastal flood warnings, meaning that coastal communities may experience up to two feet of flooding.
The National Weather Service stated, “Widespread flooding of vulnerable areas will result in an elevated threat of property damage to homes and businesses near the waterfront and shoreline.”.
That might compel authorities to shut down a number of roads and endanger buildings. Along tidal rivers and bays, flooding will also spread inland from the waterfront, causing additional road closures and possibly even submerged automobiles.
Additionally, northern Delaware, western New Jersey, and southeast Pennsylvania—including Philadelphia—are covered by the coastal flood warnings.
