The rainfall triggered rescues, road closures, and hundreds of canceled flights in the northeastern United States
SANTO DOMINGO. – After two days of intense rains that paralyzed parts of the northeastern United States, New York City began to return to normal on Wednesday, while eastern New York State and regions of New England remain under alert due to the risk of flash floods, according to reports from the National Weather Service (NWS).
The most severe rainfall was concentrated during the early morning hours of Wednesday in the Hudson Valley and the Albany area, where accumulations of between five and 15 centimeters of rain were recorded in a few hours, enough to cause flooding on roads, rescues of people trapped in vehicles and the closure of several roads.
Although the flood warning for New York City expired during the morning, meteorologists warned that scattered showers would continue throughout the rest of the day, albeit with a considerably lower risk than that recorded in the past 48 hours, according to CNN reports.
The danger is shifting north
More than 11 million people remain under some type of flood watch from eastern New York State to western New England.
CNN experts noted that the areas of greatest concern are parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut, where there is a high risk of torrential rains capable of causing life-threatening flooding.
The NWS forecasts general accumulations of between 50 and 100 millimeters, although in mountainous areas such as the Berkshires and Worcester Hills, accumulations of between 120 and 180 millimeters due to the terrain.
Rescues and disruptions to transportation
The rains triggered multiple rescue operations in various northeastern states.
Telemundo NY also reported that in Paterson, New Jersey , firefighters rescued at least 20 people , including a wheelchair user who was trapped by the rising water level.
Similarly, rescues were reported in Pennsylvania, where emergency teams assisted several people whose vehicles were completely surrounded by floodwaters, as well as families isolated inside their homes.
In the New York metropolitan area, heavy rains caused significant disruptions to air travel. According to the flight tracking platform FlightAware , approximately 200 flights were canceled and dozens were delayed Wednesday morning at John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty airports .
Warmer temperatures and more storms
Forecasts indicate that New York will maintain a warm and humid environment throughout the day.
According to Meteored , the temperature will reach 28°C , with a 90% chance of rain and accumulations close to 36 millimeters , while AccuWeather forecasts strong storms during the afternoon, after some morning showers.
In addition, the National Weather Service maintains a strong rip current warning for beaches in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, where it is recommended to avoid entering the sea due to the high risk to swimmers.
The threat is beginning to diminish
AccuWeather meteorologists agree that the system will begin to lose intensity during Wednesday night, gradually reducing the risk of widespread flooding.
However, a low level of risk for heavy rain is still expected on Thursday in parts of Boston and the coast of Maine, where isolated showers could occur.
The storm comes just a week after Tropical Storm Bertha, which had already left significant rainfall accumulations in several eastern states, saturating the soil and increasing vulnerability to new weather events.
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