Rain Continues to Pound the Northeast and into the Mid-Atlantic

Posted: July 14, 2021 10:55 am

Torrential Downpours, Heavy Rains, and Strong Winds the Story Out East

A typical slow-moving July weather system is dumping a significant amount of rainfall and more is on the way for the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic.

Heavy Rainfall to Start the Week

It has been a soaker for much of the Northeast so far this week. The northern suburbs of Philadelphia in Buck’s County saw several inches of water fall per hour on Monday afternoon. The suburb of Croydon, Pennsylvania, saw over 10 inches of rainfall, equaling the amount of precipitation that they normally see in one month.

In nearby Bensalem, marine units were mobilized to rescue stranded motorists and people stuck in their flooded homes. Philadelphia itself also measured around 5 inches of rainfall just on Monday, prompting the temporary closure of Route 63.

Philadelphia International Airport came in with 4.35 inches of rainfall through Monday. This number is equal to the average amount of rainfall for the entire month of July.

Flooding a Concern

Because of this heavy rainfall over the last several days, the region is at risk of flash flooding when more precipitation begins to fall. Grounds that are already beyond saturated will not be able to take on much additional moisture. In addition, the high humidity paired with the weak steering winds means that any shower or thunderstorm may lead to localized flooding. This risk is expected to continue through the end of Wednesday.

High Winds the Story Tuesday Night

While rain was the story on Monday, it was the high winds that caused the trouble on Tuesday night. Dozens of high wind reports came in on Tuesday evening across the Northeast. The top reported wind gust reached 78 mph in Penn Yan, New York. This city in Yates County is located at the northern tip of the east branch of Keuka Lake.

Severe thunderstorms popped up across a large swath of the nation on Tuesday night, stretching from the Tennessee and Ohio valleys into the Great Lakes. Farther to the south, a non-tropical storm skirting along the southern Atlantic coast brought heavy rain to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Active Weather Pattern to Continue Wednesday

This active weather pattern will continue up and down the East Coast on Wednesday and into Wednesday night. Along with the potential of torrential downpours, the area will likely see gusty winds and thunderstorms. This system will push over into the central Appalachians and toward the mid-Atlantic coast before moving into New England.

Wednesday’s potential downpours pose a threat to areas that have already seen a massive amount of rain over the last several days. This will translate to a high risk of flooded streets and highways, possibly leading to travel disruptions. Motorists need to exercise extreme caution on roadways that are prone to flooding.

In addition to the flooded roads, strong wind gusts may bring down trees or power lines, especially in areas where the soil is already so saturated with the previous rainfall. Hail and isolated tornadoes may also be a possibility on Wednesday.

Although there may be a brief respite from the stormy weather on Thursday, the continuation of moist and warm air over the region will bring back the potential of a soggy mess through at least the early part of next week. So far, the weekend is setting up to be warm and humid with the chance of widespread rain and thunderstorms up and down the East Coast

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