Weather conditions were expected to clear in New York and across the Northeast on Tuesday as the storm system that brought widespread flooding shifts southward toward the Mid-Atlantic states.
As the system moves south, it is expected to weaken, but forecasters warned that it would continue to be fueled by moist air from the south. This could produce strong bursts of storms, with rainfall rates reaching up to two inches per hour.
The Weather Prediction Center issued a Level 2 out of 4 risk for excessive rainfall across parts of Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, eastern West Virginia, western North Carolina and the northwestern corner of South Carolina through Wednesday morning.
Flood watches were also in effect for most of Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C., through Tuesday evening.
The intense rainfall and flash flooding on Monday were driven by a slow-moving storm system that combined with abnormally high amounts of moisture in the air. This potent combination triggered intense storms that led to flash floods from central Virginia to New York City.
Some areas recorded up to seven inches of rain, according to Joe Wegman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
In New York City, between 6:51 and 7:51 p.m. on Monday, 2.07 inches of rainfall was recorded, making it the second wettest hour ever recorded in the city. Only the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped more rain in a single hour, when 3.15 inches of rainfall was recorded in New York City in September 2021.
Other records were broken, too. In total for the day, New York City recorded 2.64 inches of rainfall, shattering the previous record for July 14 of 1.47 inches, set in 1908. Meanwhile, Newark Airport received 2.13 inches and LaGuardia Airport recorded 1.66, both setting records for July 14 rainfall.
The heavy rains also caused the Bronx River to rise to a moderate flood stage of approximately 3.7 feet on Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s New York office. They said the river was expected to recede below flood stage by the afternoon.
The active weather pattern is expected to continue for the rest of the week for portions of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including New York City. The storms would not be as intense as Monday’s, but the risk for flash flooding will remain.
“The threat on Thursday is for New York into New England,” Mr. Wegman said. “On Friday, it’s back down to D.C., Maryland, Virginia, southern Pennsylvania, and that threat is still there on Saturday.”
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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