Over 30 million Americans under flood watches as rain pelts eastern US: Wednesday weather
Millions of people in across the eastern U.S. are under flood watches as a storm pushes rain into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, according to the National Weather Service.
From the Southeast to New England, NWS has predicted rainfall that could be heavy in some local areas. The storms are predicted to fizzle out by Thursday morning, but some areas could see several inches of rainfall before then.
More than 30 million Americans were under flood watches, as of 11 a.m. ET, according to the weather service.
In the Northeast, residents could expect as much as 3 inches between New York City and Boston.
Officials are warning residents across the Atlanta area, New York, and New England to remain cautious of falling trees and avoid driving through flooded streets.
National weather radar
Flood watches in the Northeast
Several Northeast communities along and east of the Interstate 95 corridor are also under a flash flood warning.
Anywhere between 1 to 3 inches of rain is expected in the region, according to NWS Boston and New York offices.
Main weather story for Wednesday will be the potential for flooding as rain increases during the afternoon and into the night as a coastal low pressure system moves into the region. For extra details, see our latest briefing, https://t.co/s2OESxqCfQ#NYwx #NJwx #CTwx pic.twitter.com/0GFbbSKjiU
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) March 6, 2024
"A coastal low-pressure system will bring moderate to heavy rainfall Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday morning," the NWS office in New York said.
The rainfall coupled with wet weather from the past few days could potentially cause urban, small stream, and river flooding in cities across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
The Pawcatuck River at Westerly, Rhode Island, is under a flood warning, while states from Massachusetts down to New Jersey remain under a flood watch.
Rescue crews help people trapped in Atlanta
The NWS issued, then lifted, a flash flood warning for the Atlanta area including portions of Fulton, Fayette, Clayton, Henry, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties.
Forecasters estimated 3 to 4 inches of rain had fallen near downtown Atlanta and the city's airport.
FOX 5 Atlanta reported that crews have been working to help rescue people trapped by downed trees or stuck in their cars due to flooding. In one instance, firefighters used a boat to pull out two drivers who were stranded in deep water. The two drivers were recovered safely, but according to NWS, most flood deaths occur in cars.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are also expected in central Georgia this afternoon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Flood watches issued across Northeast, East Coast: Wednesday weather
