More than 60 million people across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are facing the risk of flash flooding as storms move through the region after a holiday weekend heat wave. New York City and Long Island are among the areas under the sharpest threat, with heavy rain already causing disruptions and warnings in place through Monday night.
NYC Faces The Highest Flood Risk
New York City and Long Island are in the center of the storm zone, with a level 3 out of 4 threat for flash flooding. Southern Connecticut, Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts are also expected to see heavy rain, and some parts of the Northeast could get up to 3 inches of rain per hour.
A flood watch is in effect for the entire New York City metropolitan area through Monday night. A flash flood warning was issued Monday for Brooklyn and Queens after 1 to 2 inches of rain had already fallen there in the morning.
Travel Delays And Airport Disruptions Spread
The severe weather has also rattled air travel across the region. More than 700 flights had been canceled by 2:30 p.m. ET at New York and New Jersey airports, while major airports in the New York area reported delays of more than an hour.
Ground stops were also issued by the Federal Aviation Administration throughout the day. Flights out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Philadelphia International Airport were also delayed because of thunderstorms.
Warnings Extend Beyond New York
A flash flood warning was also issued for more than 2.5 million people in the Philadelphia area, where flooding had already been reported, including in the Lemon Hill Park neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Some areas in the Northeast could receive up to 8 inches of rain, according to the forecast.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay safe, stay prepared and watch out for one another in an online video statement on Sunday. He also said city workers were clearing catch basins and preparing neighborhoods that are historically flood-prone for the storm.
Storms Follow Widespread Heat And Power Losses
The storms arrive after a multi-day heat wave that left parts of the East Coast sweltering and contributed to major power disruptions. At one point, more than 800,000 utility customers from Oklahoma to Connecticut lost electricity on Sunday, including 85,000 in New York, according to PowerOutage.com.
In New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said thunderstorms on Friday night and over the weekend knocked out power to nearly 300,000 utility customers, with wind gusts of up to 80 mph toppling trees and power lines. At least 25 people are suspected to have died in New Jersey from the heat wave, officials said.
Damage Reported In New Jersey
Severe weather likely caused the roof of a BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township, New Jersey, to partially collapse while 27 people were inside, according to Monmouth County Sheriff Michael Sorrentino. He said two people were partially entrapped but were able to free themselves and leave safely, and no injuries were reported.
Sorrentino said the incident was another reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions. New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard Washington also said many of the people who died in the heat were found in homes without air conditioning.
| Area | Weather Alert | Notable Impact |
|---|---|---|
| New York City and Long Island | Level 3 of 4 flash flood threat | Flood watch in effect; warnings issued for Brooklyn and Queens |
| Philadelphia area | Flash flood warning | Flooding reported, including Lemon Hill Park |
| Southern Connecticut, Rhode Island, southeast Massachusetts | Heavy rain expected | Up to 3 inches of rain per hour possible |