New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Maryland floods: Flood watch weather update: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland set to receive more rains, flash floods warning issued

The flooded US East Coast was bracing for more rain on Tuesday after flash floods disrupted travel, stranded vehicles and forced rescue crews. A flood warning for parts of New Jersey remained in effect through Tuesday morning, while the slow-moving summer storm was expected to continue pelting the Mid-Atlantic region through midweek, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

“A moisture-rich Summertime air mass across much of the eastern/central United States will continue to produce scattered to widespread storms that can produce heavy downpours and flash flooding,” the government forecaster wrote.

Heavy rain Monday night flooded parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and urged people to stay home.

Rescuers in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, armed with red flotation devices, waded into gushing floodwaters after several motorists were stranded in a flash surge, CBS footage showed.

Authorities in the region, including as far south as Virginia, warned of hazardous driving conditions due to the risk of flash flooding.

The NWS urged drivers who encounter flooded roads to “turn around.” “Most flood-related deaths occur in vehicles,” he said.
In New York City, a video shared on social media showed muddy brown water gushing like a geyser past the turnstiles of a subway station. Numerous subway lines were briefly suspended or returned to operation with delays, while heavy traffic congestion above ground paralyzed many of the city’s main streets.

JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports temporarily suspended departures Monday night, causing dozens of flights to be canceled.

As severe flooding led to a disaster declaration in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, emergency responders rescued people from flooded basements and conducted 16 water rescues.

“Heavy rainfall dropped more than 7 inches of rain in less than five hours,” the county’s fire department in Mount Joy Township said on Facebook.

Staten Island recorded 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain Monday night, according to the New York borough’s emergency notification system.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani, who is running for mayor of New York, wrote on social media that the rapid flooding highlighted the need to make the city climate resilient.

“We must develop our infrastructure for this new climate reality,” he wrote.

The NWS said the storm “will intensify across the southern Mid-Atlantic/Appalachians on Tuesday before shifting northward on Wednesday.”

The latest round of bad weather follows the historic Fourth of July flood that devastated parts of central Texas, killing at least 131 people, including three dozen children, and leaving more than 100 people still missing.