The governors of New York and New Jersey have declared a state of emergency in their respective jurisdictions due to the threat of flash floods caused by intense rainfall. These weather conditions have significantly disrupted air and rail transportation across the East Coast of the United States.
The National Weather Service has issued flash flood alerts for an area spanning from the Washington-Baltimore region, through Philadelphia and Wilmington, to the metropolitan area of New York City. Additionally, thunderstorm alerts have been activated in much of the Interstate-95 corridor.
The storms have wreaked havoc on transportation, leading to the cancellation of at least 1,170 flights at eight major airports in the region, including Washington Dulles, Baltimore-Washington, Philadelphia, and the New York airports (Newark, LaGuardia, JFK). Passenger train service has also been affected, with Amtrak suspending service between Philadelphia and Wilmington due to track flooding.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has urged the population to "stay alert, informed, and exercise caution, as we anticipate excessive rainfall with the potential for flash flooding." Meanwhile, New Jersey Acting Governor Tahesha Way has warned that extreme rainfall could trigger "landslides, rockslides, and flash flooding on roads", advising residents to "stay off the roads and indoors unless absolutely necessary."
The National Weather Service attributes this phenomenon to a cold front combining an unstable air mass with an exceptional amount of atmospheric moisture.