Drenching storms produce widespread flash flooding, strand motorists in Northeast

Numerous roads were shut down in the Northeast on Sunday after torrential rainfall from slow-moving heavy thunderstorms produced widespread and, in some cases, life-threatening flooding.

In New York state, many roads became impassable by Sunday evening. Multiple vehicles became trapped and submerged in floodwaters in Orange County, where officials issued a state of emergency declaration. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was among the many officials who urged residents to stay off the roadways.

According to The New York Times, which cited Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, at least one death had been reported in the county. The Times also reported that Neuhaus said there had been numerous water rescues, including around West Point which is home to the United States Military Academy.

Significant flooding was ongoing on Main Street in the village of Highland Falls, located in Orange County about 45 miles north of New York City, as multiple cars had water flowing up to their roofs.

The National Weather Service reported a portion of US 6 near Fort Montgomery, New York, collapsed west of the Palisades Interstate Parkway on Sunday evening. Several roads in the area were closed as water rescues took place. Highland Falls was unreachable from Interstate 87 or Route 6 due to the flooding, according to News 12.

In addition to the washed out roads, flooding in the lower Hudson Valley led to substantial flooding of homes and businesses. In Fort Montgomery, a woman was killed due to the rapidly rising floodwaters, even as evacuations were getting underway in the area.

A flash flood emergency was issued for the area just after 5 p.m. EDT and was in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday night.

Heavy rain drenched the Northeast throughout the day on Sunday. In Pennsylvania, the first reports of flooding occurred around 12 p.m. EDT in Juniata County, where roads were washed out. As the rain moved east, a bevy of flooding reports came in for the eastern part of the state into the evening.

Trained spotters reported a water rescue was underway for a truck trapped in flooding in Berks County, Pennsylvania, just before 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Several roads in the area were also impassable due to the rising water, including Highway US 22 and Pennsylvania Route 309.

Flooding across a road in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, on July 9, 2023. (Michael Woytowiez/Twitter)

As the deluge of rain moved northeast, emergency management officials in Durham Township, Pennsylvania, -- located about 12 miles southeast of Allentown -- reported evacuations due to rising water in the area.

Rainfall amounts upwards of 2-4 inches had already fallen across the region by Sunday afternoon in drenching storms, according to local observation sites. Storm totals even eclipsed record numbers in some areas. Reading, Pennsylvania, recorded 5.35 inches of rain on Sunday, breaking the daily maximum rainfall record previously set in 1952.

Farther north in portions of northern New Jersey, western Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley, Sunday's highest rainfall totals were observed. Totals exceeding 4 inches were common across the region, including a report of 6.07 inches near Paterson, New Jersey.

The highest totals on Sunday were observed portions of the Hudson Valley. Roughly 8 inches of rain were observed near Highland Falls, with around 6 inches reported across the river in Peekskill, New York.

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