State of Emergency Declared as Flash Floods Slam Northeast

A state of emergency has been declared in New York City and New Jersey on July 31 as a powerful storm system hits the U.S. East Coast, bringing dangerous torrential rainfall and flash flooding to the region. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she would declare a state of emergency for more than 15 counties, including New York City. The state staged water rescue teams and sent non-essential employees home in several counties at 1 p.m.. "I am urging all New Yorkers to stay vigilant, stay informed, and use caution as we expect excessive rainfall with the potential for flash flooding," Hochul said. In New Jersey, Acting Governor Tahesha Way declared a statewide state of emergency effective from 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. By the afternoon of July 31, more than 50 million people in the region were forecast to be under a flood watch. Flash flood warnings with a "considerable damage" threat were in effect for Queens, Bronx, and Philadelphia. Hard rain and flash flooding started arriving by early afternoon, with scattered reports of flooded roads and stranded cars in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City. In Baltimore, the weather service upgraded the flood warning threat to "considerable" after more than 4 inches of rain fell in some locations. A Maryland Mesonet gauge in Sykesville recorded 0.82 inches in 10 minutes and 2.1 inches in 30 minutes. In Berks County, Pennsylvania, a gauge measured 3.32 inches of rain in 42 minutes, with multiple vehicles stranded and reports of people being rescued from their cars. The severe weather follows days of extreme heat, with daily record high temperatures set at LaGuardia Airport (99 degrees) and Atlantic City, New Jersey (97) on July 30. The National Weather Service had forecast as much as 3 inches of rain, with even higher amounts possible in isolated locations. Amtrak suspended rail operations between New York City and Albany due to debris on tracks, with additional rainfall expected to persist. M