Flood Safety and Preparedness

Rounds Of Rain To Return To The Northeast After Quieter Monday

Don't Underestimate The Power Of Water

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More locally heavy rain is likely in parts of the flood-ravaged Northeast in the days ahead, with the potential to trigger more flash flooding.

Sunday and Monday, up to 9 inches of rain soaked the Northeast, leading to over 300 reports of flash flooding from North Carolina to New Hampshire. Roads were washed out, some homes flooded and some towns were isolated. Parts of Vermont saw flooding of the magnitude not seen since Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 or the Great Flood of 1927.

(MORE: New York, Vermont Flood Recap)

Drying out for the start of the work week, but it won't last. Additional thunderstorms may develop through this evening across eastern New York and New England, but these will produce less rainfall. More showers and thunderstorms will return Tuesday.

Additional rain is possible Tuesday and/or Wednesday with a new system following a well-earned break for the Northeast on Monday.

This new rainfall will be less widespread and lighter than in previous rounds. Any flooding that does occur will be more isolated and in more vulnerable spots.

How much more rain could fall: The rounds of rain could lead to more than 2" of rainfall through mid-week in a few spots, but most spots will see less than an inch of additional rain.

Why won't this rain let up: The simple answer to this is the atmospheric pattern is stuck.

That's because blocking high pressure aloft near Greenland is abnormally strong for summer.

That "Greenland block" is keeping a large, spinning gyre of low pressure in place over central Canada into early next week.

Disturbances embedded in the jet stream around the base of that Canadian low will continue to pull deep moisture into the Northeast. Those ingredients will trigger the showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall we alluded to above.

So, remain aware of the danger of flash flooding in the days ahead. We have safety tips both before and during a flash flood here.

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