Intense thunderstorms started slamming parts of the New York City area Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy downpours and the threat of flooding to impacted areas throughout the evening.
From this system alone, rainfall rates reached and even exceeded or exceed two inches or more per hour in localized areas, with 2 to 4 inches of total rainfall not uncommon.
Flash flood warnings were issued across the tri-state throughout Tuesday evening, and were still in effect for parts of New Jersey until the overnight hours into Wednesday.
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The Bronx and Westchester were among the areas hardest hit by the rain. Storm Team 4's exclusive StormTracker radar showed an estimated of 3-5" of rain had fallen in those areas amid multiple flash flood reports.
Street flooding on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa. One car swamped, say police pic.twitter.com/lJCh0wcTMK
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A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for nearly all of New Jersey, along with Orange and Rockland counties in New York, through late evening. A flood watch was in effect for the entire tri-state area into early Wednesday ahead of the cold front that will knock down temperatures after dumping a sizeable amount of rainfall. Check the latest severe weather alerts for your neighborhood here.
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LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports all had flight delays Tuesday evening, with inbound flights to JFK and LaGuardia being held from their point of origin for more than four hours on average. Passengers and anyone making an airport pickup or drop off were asked to check the flight status with the airline ahead of time.
Driving was just as treacherous as driving, with flooded streets becoming impassable. Six people had to be rescued from the Cross Bronx Expressway after their vehicles got stuck in floodwaters, as the highway at some points was submerged in a foot or more of water.
Trees and wires were also reported downed in New Jersey and Long Island amid the storms.
Not everyone will see these heavy storms, but where they do set up there is a heightened flood possibility. There were already reports of flooded streets in New Jersey and New York City by 6 p.m., and one storm cell near the border of the Bronx and Westchester County dropped 2-4 inches of rain on the in just a matter of a couple hours.
In addition to the flood threat, powerful storms will be possible, with the biggest threat being damaging straight-line wind that could snap tree limbs and cause power outages. Isolated hail was also possible.
Areas west of New York City are at greatest risk for severe storms. The most frequent and heaviest storms will continue throughout the evening, with things winding down overnight — though scattered showers will continue into both Wednesday and Thursday.
National Weather Service
New York City Mayor Eric Adams cautioned those in the five boroughs not to minimize the threat.
"We have serious rain coming our way starting this afternoon," he posted on X. "Avoid travel if you can."
Quite obvious which places have received rain & which have not. Some much-needed cooling near some of our major reporting stations. pic.twitter.com/kHXqfIM2Yz
More impactful weather is again possible Friday into Saturday, as a front approaches the area and may interact with Debby’s remnants. This could once again result in a period of heavy rainfall.
Keep in mind, Debby still needs to make a second landfall in South Carolina and travel across five or six states before approaching, so impacts and timing of the storms are subject to change.
Depending on timing, the NYC area could be contending with a good amount of tropical moisture coming from what's left of Debby by the weekend. Between 2-5 inches of rain is expected to fall across the region over the next seven days, with isolated totals as high as 8 inches.
The good news: Sunday into the start of next week looks lovely.
Track any approaching storms using our interactive radar below.
Many hazardous weather events are associated with thunderstorms. Under the right conditions, rainfall from thunderstorms causes flash flooding, killing more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes or lightning. Lightning is responsible for many fires around the world each year, and causes fatalities.
Flash floods occur when heavy rainfall exceeds the ability of the ground to absorb it. They also occur when water fills normally dry creeks or streams or enough water accumulates for streams to overtop their banks, causing rapid rises of water in a short amount of time.
Flash floods occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, a dam or levee failure, or a sudden release of water held by an ice jam. Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels.
Flooding is a longer term event than flash flooding: it may last days or weeks. Flash flood: A flood caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours.
In most parts of America, flash floods are relatively common occurrence and can happen at any time during heavy rainfall. It often happens after thunderstorms or tropical cyclones but can also occur in other circ*mstances such as if a dam has failed.
Thunderstorms occur in a type of cloud known as a cumulonimbus. They are usually accompanied by strong winds and often produce heavy rain and sometimes snow, sleet, or hail, but some thunderstorms produce little precipitation or no precipitation at all.
Flash Floods can be caused by a number of things, but is most often due to extremely heavy rainfall from thunderstorms. Flash Floods can occur due to Dam or Levee Breaks, and/or Mudslides (Debris Flow).
Don't try to outrun a flash flood in your car. Cars can be death traps. Avoid areas already flooded. Do not attempt to cross a road covered with water, even a few inches.
A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring. If you are in a flood prone area move immediately to high ground. A flash flood is a sudden violent flood that can take from minutes to hours to develop. It is even possible to experience a flash flood in areas not immediately receiving rain.
Never try to walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Stop, turn around and go another way. Regardless of how a flood or flash flood occurs the plan for staying safe is simple: head for higher ground and stay out of flood waters.
Flooding can occur during every season, but some areas of the country are at greater risk at certain times of the year. Coastal areas are at greater risk for flooding during hurricane season (i.e., June to November), while the Midwest is more at risk in the spring and during heavy summer rains.
Final answer: Flash floods occur quickly, last a short time, and involve a large volume of water. They are not limited to occuring during thunderstorms and can result from other events such as dam breaks or snowmelt.
In addition to the force of the water, flash floods can carry large debris such as boulders. This combination can cause heavy structural damage to homes making them uninhabitable and can carry away large pieces of property such as vehicles.
Forecasters can usually tell in advance when conditions are right for flash floods to occur, but there is often little lead-time for an actual warning. (By contrast, flooding on large rivers can sometimes be predicted days ahead).
Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes. Heavy rain from thunderstorms can lead to flash flooding. Strong winds, hail, and tornadoes are also dangers associated with some thunderstorms.
Storm Surge: When a tropical cyclone approaches the coastline, it pushes a large amount of seawater towards the land, causing a rise in sea level. This rise in sea level, known as storm surge, can result in coastal flooding.
Flooding can be caused by a variety of weather and related phenomena, including tropical cyclones, low pressure systems, thunderstorms, snowmelt, and debris flows. Types of flooding caused by these events can range from river flooding, to urban flooding, to flash flooding.
Flooding typically occurs when prolonged rain falls over several days, when intense rain falls over a short period of time, or when an ice or debris jam causes a river or stream to overflow onto the surrounding area. Flooding can also result from the failure of a water control structure, such as a levee or dam.
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