Heavy rain spawned extreme flooding in New York’s Hudson Valley that killed at least one person, swamped roadways and forced road closures on Sunday night, as much of the rest of the Northeast US braced for extreme rainfall.
As the storm moved east, the National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings into Connecticut, including the cities of Stamford and Greenwich, before creeping into Massachusetts. Forecasters said some areas could get as much as 127mm (5 inches) of rain.
The warning, issued by federal forecasters Sunday night, applied to the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. In social media bulletins published in multiple languages, New York City Emergency Management warned residents in basements to seek higher ground.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange County, 60 miles north of New York City, where a woman in her 30s was swept away by rapid waters as she sought higher ground with her dog, County Executive Steven Neuhaus said.
The extent of the destruction from the slow-moving storm, which pounded the area with up to 200mm (8 inches) of rain, won’t be known until after sunrise, when residents and officials can begin surveying the damage. But officials said the storm had already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed to WCBS radio that several people were missing and one home was washed away.The rains have hit some parts of New York harder than others, but officials said communities in the east of the state should brace for torrential rains and possible flash flooding.
Air travelers in the Northeast were likely to face delays. La Guardia Airport in New York said the weather has caused flight disruptions. Boston Logan International Airport listed multiple flight delays and cancellations.
Airport officials advised travelers to reach out to their airlines to determine flight statuses.
Amtrak said late Sunday that train service between New York City and Albany, New York, had been suspended because of the weather.
The weather service said in a forecast discussion that the heavy rain was being produced by the clash of a relatively strong summer cold front with an unusual plume of tropical moisture.
It said the threat of flooding in Pennsylvania and New York on Sunday night would extend Monday to New England.
