A slow-moving storm system could pound the Northeast with more than 6 inches of rain starting Sunday, with areas including New York City on alert for flash flooding.
About 80 million people from Washington, D.C., to Portland, Maine, could see a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours, according to forecasts. The storms may dump half a foot, or 1-2 inches of moisture per hour, on New York City and surrounding areas, AccuWeather said. Stretches of Vermont and Pennsylvania are also at moderate risk for excessive rainfall.
“Infrastructure in the metro areas may not be able to handle rainfall of this magnitude,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.
The slow-moving cold front will turn northeastward pulling in warm air, the National Weather Service said, threatening flash flooding, mudslides and drastically decreased visibility starting Sunday. The system, which could also spawn hail and tornadoes, could linger until Tuesday, the NWS and AccuWeather said.
The band of weather comes on the heels of an unusually early heat wave in parts of the region, with New York City hitting a heat record for the year earlier this week. The planet has already set global heat records, underscoring the dangers of ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
New Yorkers are urged to keep a close eye on the forecasts and prepare for possible flooding.
“Throughout the weekend, parts of the state will continue to be at risk for flooding from storms bringing heavy rain, especially in those areas already hard-hit by rains and flooding over the past couple of days,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
Other parts of New England, including Washington, and Baltimore, had flood watches in affect for Saturday night or Sunday.
