More rain, minor flooding expected for the Lower Hudson Valley Friday night
Lower Hudson Valley residents should prepare for another wet and dreary weekend, as a storm system is expected to bring one to two inches of rain and possible flooding conditions Friday evening.
The National Weather Service said a strong storm could cause coastal flood conditions on the coast of Connecticut and Long Island starting Friday night after 7 p.m.
The Lower Hudson Valley has not yet received any immediate emergency weather alerts, but the National Weather Service issued moderate river flood warnings for parts of Rockland County, including Suffern, and gale wind warnings for coastal communities on the Sound Shore.
Friday morning is expected to be cloudy, with a high near 46 degrees. The National Weather Service said winds up to 7 mph could start up in the afternoon and get stronger in the evening.
Westchester County is expected to see around 1.65 inches of rain near White Plains, while Rockland County is expecting 1.5 inches near New City and Putnam County is expecting 1.3 inches near Cold Spring.
Rain throughout Westchester and Rockland County is predicted to make landfall by 7 p.m. National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Cristantello said rains could be heavy at times, but the major problem is small creek and river flooding.
Rivers the National Weather Service are monitoring include the Ramapo River near Suffern, the Hackensack River near West Nyack, the Bronx River, Sprain Brook, the Saw Mill River and the Hutchinson River, all near major roadways.
Cristantello said that although high amounts of rain are not expected, stream flows are already running higher than usual, above 90%, and the soil is overly saturated due to the snow storm on Saturday, Jan. 7 and Tuesday evening's rain storm.
"It's pretty likely that there will be moderate river flooding, especially for the smaller rivers and creeks, but the area probably won't see any kind of flash flooding," Cristantello said. "For winds, they're probably not as strong as they were in this last event."
He predicts winds will average around 20 to 30 miles per hour, with the highest gusts most likely reaching about 40 to 45 miles per hour.
Cristantello said most of the rain will be gone by around 7 a.m. Saturday. Temperatures that day could rise to 54 degrees by 11 a.m.
Flooding of small rivers and streams across the Lower Hudson Valley could cause more road damage and potential property damage, as well as possible downed trees and power lines because of oversaturated soil.
Cristantello said drivers should remember to "turn around and don't drown" if they encounter flooded roadways. He said drivers should not plan to travel Friday night unless absolutely necessary.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Lower Hudson Valley NY could see heavy rains, some floods Friday night
