The Northeast will have heavy rain again on Saturday, threatening New York City with a flood watch for the second weekend.
On September 29, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York, a worker attempts to empty a sewer while flood waters surround him. (Source: NBC News)
Warning for Flood Watch in NYC
Northern New Jersey to Maine will be drenched by a cold front and remnants of tropical storm Philippe. These areas may get significant rainfall from Saturday morning until early Sunday, according to the Weather Prediction Centre. Friday, the forecast center predicted heavy rainfall, gusty gusts for eastern Maine along the storm’s track, and high waves along the New England coast. The same hard-hit neighborhoods remain under flood watches Saturday, even though forecasters say this weekend’s storms won’t produce as much rain as last week’s record-setting rains that wreaked havoc on New York City’s highways and subway system. National Weather Service: southeastern New York, including much of New York City, southern Connecticut, and northeastern New Jersey are under a flood watch from 2 a.m. Saturday through the evening.
From Saturday afternoon until Sunday, much of Maine will be under a flood watch. New York City, upstate New York, and New England will get 1–3 inches of rain on Saturday and Sunday. The strongest rain, anticipated in Maine, could bring 5 inches. Philippe’s leftovers will hit Maine and northern New England hardest. As of Friday morning, the National Hurricane Centre predicted that post-tropical storm Philippe would pass through Atlantic Canada and New England this weekend.
READ ALSO: Updates on the Path of Tropical Storm Philippe
Series of Heavy Rainfall
This weekend would be the third straight with heavy rain in the Northeast. Ophelia soaked the Northeast the weekend of September 23, followed by last weekend’s walls of rain that halted air traffic, inundated basements, and forced New York City water rescues. New York City officials are predicting 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain citywide and 3 to 4 inches in flood-prone areas when the storm rolls in Saturday. A deputy mayor advised basement residents to pack up and move by Friday night. Wright also advised New Yorkers to prepare for substantial flood watch and travel interruptions in flood-prone regions as grounds remain saturated following last week’s storm.
Flash floods and other climate extremes are part of our reality in this man-made climate crisis, Wright added. “This is the new normal.” In a Friday press conference, city officials said more than 100 water rescue teams are on standby and clearing catch basins to absorb more water. Scientists say human-induced climate change is a key cause of more frequent and severe extreme weather events.
READ ALSO: Expected Flash Floods Brought by Tropical Storm Philippe in Leeward Island
