The non-stop rainfall that is coming down over New York and New Jersey is raising the risk of flash and urban flooding around the Big Apple and in parts of the Garden State. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are spiraling around a slow moving storm that is affecting that part of the country. Forecasters warned Wednesday that the storm can produce a couple of inches of rainfall which is far more than what’s needed to cause flooding and travel delays.
On Wednesday, rain swept across New Jersey as intense thunderstorms brought over two inches of rainfall and flash flooding to some locations. In Hudson and Bergen counties, floodwaters rose quickly in some areas. Several motorists had to be rescued by boat by the Jersey City Fire Department after they were trapped in deep water. Even though most of the rain from this system came down in New Jersey Wednesday, Thursday is going to be another wet day as more rain is in the forecast.
The bad weather put a stop to the on-going Sandy recovery efforts in Mantoloking, NJ. The ground is just too saturated there to support the many trucks needed for demolition of the scores of houses which were destroyed by the Super Storm in October.
A flash flood warning was issued for New York City Wednesday evening. The National Weather Service said at the time it issued the warning that the highest chance of flooding for the city would be around 9am Thursday. It also warned that the storms could cause streets, underpasses, highways and low-lying areas to flood as one to two inches of rain is expected to fall. The NWS was warning travelers not to drive into flooded areas and to turn around and find alternate routes when they see flooded streets and roadways ahead.
There has already been severe flooding in New Jersey and New York such as what occurred along the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel on Rt. 492 in New Jersey. That area had extensive flooding as at least two feet of water was on the roadway. Heavy downpours also drenched the five boroughs of New York City as well as many parts of coastal New Jersey and Long Island. Vehicles were nearly totally submerged in water in some locations including Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn.