Watching dogs walk through flooded apartment after heavy rain
A pet owner checked the security camera and saw her dog soaked and her apartment was completely flooded and returned home.
One might feel like they move quickly from the skillet to pools in New Jersey, New York and parts of Pennsylvania this week as the sultry temperatures of the mid-to-high 90s gave way to flooding rain and potential flooding.
The National Weather Service said the record highs of daily temperatures were set on July 30 at LaGuardia Airport (99 degrees) and Atlantic City, New Jersey (97), while the heat index (the feeling of heat) hit triple-digit numbers in some areas. However, as the heat continues into the evening, the service starts posting flood watches.
By the afternoon of July 31, more than 50 million people in the area will be under flood surveillance. State and local officials warned residents in the area to prepare for potential flooding ahead of time, with up to 3 inches of rain expected, and even higher numbers in isolated locations.
Parts of central and western New Jersey may see more than 4 inches of rain in a short period of time, with rainfall greater than two inches per hour, which could cause flash flooding, the weather service said.
“In the afternoon and evening of Thursday, as the frontal border is in the southern part of the region, there is increasing confidence in local rainfall, and a wave spreading along the front of the front,” the Weather Service's July 30 forecast discussion said.
The Meteorological Bureau said “may be repeated rainfall and embedded thunderstorm axis” on Thursday afternoon and evening. “There is too much rainfall prospect throughout the region. In New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, the moderate risk of rainfall is expected to be higher, with a lower risk of excessive rainfall from northern and eastern Virginia to southern Massachusetts.
Most of the rain is expected to fall to 3-6 hours. The Meteorological Bureau said greater storm and flooding could pose “an increasing threat to life and cause flood disruptions to transport, underground infrastructure and basements and the first floors of residential and business.”
Urge Travel Warning
“We are preparing for a severe storm tomorrow night,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on X on July 30. “The city has issued a travel consultation on Thursday and Friday and asked people to avoid travel. “Roads during commuting may be flooded.” ”
“Set up flood control tools early,” Adams' office warned in an X post. “If you live in a basement, be prepared to move to higher ground.”
Accuweather said on July 30 that individuals in the area should have “several reliable ways to receive watches and warnings related to floods.”
“It seems like a road with only a small amount of water can be a trick, especially when reducing visibility,” warns Alex Sosnowski, a senior meteorologist at Accuweather. “Six inches to one foot of moving water can cause small vehicles to be pushed. With 1 to 2 feet of water, larger SUVs can float. At the very least, the vehicle can withstand severe water damage.”
The New York Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Emergency Situation urge residents to sign emergency and weather alerts by texting their county or borough to 333111.
“As forecasts change from extreme heat to heavy rain, I urge all New Yorkers to remain alert and act cautiously this weekend,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press release. “National agencies are on standby, with downpours and local flooding, and will monitor the situation in real time to ensure all New Yorkers are safe in the storm.”
Where is the biggest chance of heavy rain?
The Bureau of Meteorology said the exact location will be where the maximum rainfall is coming down. Currently, the highest possibility is only in the southwest of New York City and the New Jersey metro area, but any shift in the north will bring the largest potential rain into the city.
As recent floods in the Texas Hill Country show, predictions often have difficulty pointing out exactly where they are, where weather systems will interact with each other in the atmosphere above a region and reduce maximum rainfall. This is a puzzle expert who has been working hard to solve computer predictive models.
As of 8 pm on July 30, and from August 2 to August 2, the maximum probability of rainfall exceeding 4 inches is the following:
- Holly Hills, NJ – 34%
- King of Prussia, Pennsylvania – 31%
- West Chester, Pennsylvania – 24%
- Trenton, NJ – 22%
- West Milford, NJ – 10%
The biggest chance of rain over 3 inches is:
- Trenton, NJ – 53%
- West Chester, Pennsylvania – 43%
- Pocono Hill, Pennsylvania – 34%
- Doylestown, Pennsylvania -33%
- West Milford, NJ – 33%
- New York City – 21%
- Haverstraw, New York – 27%
- Sherman, Connecticut – 20%
How long will the rain last?
Conditions are expected to improve from August 1 and return to near-term.
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national journalist for USA Today, has written about climate change, violent weather and other news. Contact her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp or x or dinahvp.77 on bluesky.