Millions of Americans Dealing with Flash Flooding

Posted: July 10, 2023 12:53 pm

At least one death has been blamed on the flash flooding that gripped the Northeast to end the weekend. A slow-moving storm system crawled over the region on Sunday, dumping over 10 inches of rain in the hardest-hit communities. By Monday morning, over 9 million Americans were under flash flooding alerts. Here is a look at the aftermath as well as where the threat will linger.

New York State Hit Hard by Drenching Downpours

Several state of emergency declarations were issued in New York state as the rain continued to fall and the floodwaters unleashed late Sunday and into Monday. A female in her mid-30s lost her life after trying to flee her home in Highlands, New York. Located in Orange County in the state’s Hudson Valley area, the town saw extensive damage from the storm.

Numerous vehicles were trapped and roads were closed as floodwaters inundated the area. Included in the list of closures is the busy Palisades Interstate Parkway. The National Weather Service (NWS) also confirmed that a stretch of U.S. Highway 6 collapsed near Fort Montgomery, New York.

In addition, the town of Highland Falls was unreachable coming from Interstate 87, cutting off the area from crucial services.

Commuters were met with a surprise on Monday with the suspension of the Metro-North Railroad service between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie. This service is not likely to resume until at least Tuesday. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the line was suspended due to high water and boulders and other types of debris blocking the tracks.

The New York State Department of Transportation continued to warn that more roads may close on Monday. Be sure to exercise caution when headed out on Monday if you live in this part of the state.

The water levels had begun to recede slightly by Monday morning, making way for rescuers to reach the impacted areas and organize a command center. Local officials are asking residents to stay off of the roadways until the water recedes more. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Monday that the crisis is not over, signaling that residents need to remain vigilant.

Hochul declared a state of emergency in Orange County late Sunday. She later expanded this declaration to Ontario County, located to the southeast of Rochester. Approximately 100 homes were impacted by the flash flooding in Ontario County, prompting officials to open a temporary shelter for displaced residents.

Look Into the Rainfall Totals

The greatest amount of rain came in from Putnam Valley, an area about 40 miles north of New York City. This town had already recorded 10.49 inches of rain by the Monday morning commute.

A flash flood emergency was also issued in Vermont early Monday as the rain moved to the northeast. The Vermont State Police said that at least two dozen roads were closed because of the flooding issues. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency for his state as the most potent rain bands moved into the area on Monday morning.

The Burlington office of the NWS issued a flash flood emergency in central Vermont on Monday morning. Rescuers were dispatched to Andover when 10 people became stranded at a flooded campsite. Officials report that several culverts have been inundated with water, likely leading to the washout of many area roadways.

The Northeast is forecast to see the rain linger through the day Monday, heightening the threat of more flash flooding events to start the week. The rain will move out of this corner of the U.S. by Tuesday.

The most intense rainfall is forecast to stay west of Boston, sparing the largest city in New England.

Pennsylvania Also Hit Hard by Heavy Rain

New York state and New England were not the only areas of the Northeast that saw the massive flooding. Over 8 inches of rain was recorded in some communities in Pennsylvania. The rain hit this part of the region earlier on Sunday with the first confirmation of flooding coming in at about noon on Sunday.

The central portion of the state reported the first of the torrential downpours as the rain moved from west to east. By the envying hours, the eastern part of Pennsylvania was dealing with the heavy rain bands.

Like New York, Pennsylvania is experiencing multiple road closures due to the rising waters. Some portions of Pennsylvania Route 309 and U.S. Highway 22 were deemed impassable by Sunday evening.

Local officials in Durham Township, Pennsylvania had to evacuate some residents as the water fell in droves. This township is located about 12 miles to the southeast of Allentown.

The town of Chalfont recorded just over 8 inches of rain as of 10 pm Sunday, taking the title for the greatest amount of rain in Pennsylvania out of this weather maker. Other impressive rainfall totals included 5.35 inches in Reading. This amount was a new daily maximum rainfall record for the city.

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