Nor’easter Flooding Batters East Coast With Heavy Rain

Nor’easter flooding swept the Northeast coast Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds prompted states of emergency in New York and New Jersey during the season’s first fall storm.

Heavy rain moves up the coast

Bands of heavy rain pushed onshore from Delaware to Massachusetts on Sunday morning, with parts of the Jersey Shore and southeastern New England receiving 2 to 3 inches or more over the previous 24 hours. Another round of tidal flooding began as high tide rolled in Sunday morning, with coastal areas from Virginia to Long Island facing moderate flooding and southern New England expecting minor flooding.

Wind and coastal flood alerts stay in effect

Coastal flood alerts remained in place through Sunday evening for splash-over and minor to moderate flooding during high tides. Wind advisories covered the region from the Delmarva Peninsula to central Massachusetts, including Dover, Delaware; Philadelphia; New York City; Hartford, Connecticut; and Worcester, Massachusetts, with gusts up to 50 mph possible. High wind warnings remained active for the Jersey Shore and parts of Connecticut, where gusts of 50 mph or stronger threatened to down trees and power lines.

Inland flooding risk grows

Inland flooding was also possible Sunday from New Jersey to eastern Massachusetts as rounds of heavy rain continued, with a level 2 of 4 “slight risk” of flash flooding in effect from New York City to Boston. Flood watches were issued for eastern Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island through Monday night, with an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain expected for coastal New Jersey into New England and localized totals up to 5 to 7 inches possible in southern New England.

Storm expected to weaken by Monday night

The nor’easter is forecast to begin weakening and breaking apart by Sunday night, easing rain and winds across much of the region. It’s expected to track away from the coast Monday and clear the region by late Monday evening, though lingering light rain and breezy conditions will persist Monday morning, with the steadiest rain over southern New England. Showers and breezy conditions are expected to continue through Monday evening at a reduced level before easing overnight in southern New England.