Fay weakens after making landfall in New Jersey
After soaking parts of the New York City region with nearly three inches of rain and wind gusts of more than 40 miles per hour, Tropical Storm Fay weakened to a tropical depression early Saturday, while other parts of the country brace for excessive heat and humidity.
Fay made landfall Friday afternoon north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, the National Hurricane Center said.
It was downgraded to a tropical depression early Saturday, the hurricane center said, and was over southeastern New York as of 2 a.m. Tropical storm warnings that had been in place from Long Island's East Rockaway to Rhode Island were called off.
More than 2 1/2 inches of rain had fallen in parts of Bergen County, New Jersey and nearly 3 inches of rain fell in parts of that state's Essex County, as of shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said.
Midtown Manhattan saw nearly 3 inches of rain, and unofficial observations put maximum wind gusts at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 46 mph Friday afternoon, according to the weather service.
In Hackensack, New Jersey, the fire department tweeted earlier Friday that two people and a cat were rescued from a car stuck in flooding.
Parts of the Jersey Shore and parts of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan had streets closed due to flooding Friday, NBC New York reported.
High-water truck arriving to rescue two occupants and a cat from a vehicle stranded in flood waters. Video can be reused. @ABC7NY @brian4NY @1010WINS @fox5ny @CBSNewYork @NBCNewYork @northjersey @PFANJ_IAFF @CliffviewPilot @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/RKGZxUzDJN
— Hackensackfirenj (@HackensackFDNJ) July 10, 2020
The tropical depression could still bring between 1 to 3 inches of rain to eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and southeastern New York, the hurricane center said. Parts of New England could also be hit.
In northern Vermont, the weather service there said there could be 1 to 2 inches from Fay Saturday, but called the expected rain beneficial and said no flooding was anticipated.
The U.S. Drought Monitor website says that the region is abnormally dry, and parts of Vermont and New Hampshire are classified as being in moderate drought.
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Rain has become mostly light and scattered as Tropical Storm #Fay moves inland. Fay officially made landfall Friday afternoon just north-northeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. https://t.co/v1u3OLHUtO pic.twitter.com/A2sxCgx8tt
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) July 11, 2020
Fay set the record for the earliest "F" named storm. The weather service had earlier issued a flash flood watch for all five boroughs of New York City.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is postponing his New Hampshire campaign rally scheduled for Saturday, blaming the storm.
The system is expected to dissipate Sunday after it merges with a frontal system over southeastern Canada, the National Hurricane Center said in a forecast discussion at around 11 p.m. Friday.
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Elsewhere, 71 million people are under heat alerts across the country due to hot and humid weather. Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas are among the areas under excessive heat warnings. Heat advisories are issued for parts of California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico as well as the Southern Plains and Southeast.
Some of these areas can expect high humidity combined with temperatures that will feel like 100-103 degrees.
The area of Death Valley National Park in California was expected to reach 124 degrees Sunday, the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said. The record for the date is 130 in 1913, according to the service.
Severe storms are possible Saturday morning with the best chances within the yellow shaded area. Damaging winds up to 70 MPH and localized flash-flooding are the primary concerns. #kswx pic.twitter.com/USc0CKW5vc
— NWS Topeka (@NWSTopeka) July 10, 2020
Severe weather is also expected Saturday across parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, with the possibility of isolated tornadoes, hail and damaging winds.
