More than 13 million people in the northeastern United States are under flood warnings as a storm that has already caused widespread devastation continues to dump rain on the region.
Forecasters predicted that until Tuesday morning, New England would be at risk for flash flooding due to excessive precipitation, with Vermont bearing the greatest risk. Officials advised Vermont residents to prepare for "catastrophic" inundation not seen since 2011.
In two counties in the state of New York, the governor has declared a state of emergency. Flood warnings will also remain in effect for portions of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Connecticut until at least Tuesday afternoon.
Sunday's flooding in New York state resulted in the death of a woman in her 30s. She attempted to escape her residence with her dog for safety. "She crossed with a pet and unfortunately lost her footing and was washed away down into a ravine," an Orange County, New York, official told sources.
Intensified precipitation is predicted for the extreme north-eastern region of New York state and portions of northern Vermont. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported on Monday that dangerous flooding is expected to persist or worsen throughout the night, with impacts shifting from flash flooding to river flooding.
The NWS warned a large portion of Vermont to be on the lookout for "catastrophic flooding not seen in this region of the country since 2011." Multiple locations in the New England state are currently inaccessible due to flooding. The media in the United States report that people are being forced to travel by canoe and that churches have been converted into shelters.
North Carolina, Michigan, and Connecticut rescue crews have joined the effort in Vermont. They are attempting to reach cut-off communities such as Londonderry and Weston. Governor Phil Scott of Vermont told sources on Monday that this is an all-out effort.
We have not seen such precipitation since Hurricane Irene, and in some areas it will exceed that. In 2011, six persons were killed in Vermont by Tropical Storm Irene.
At another Monday news conference, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the storm had caused "cars to swirl in our streets." "The amount of water is extraordinary," she declared. Stormville, located 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of New York City, received 8 inches (20 centimeters) of precipitation between Sunday and Monday.
The governor of New York has declared two counties to be in a state of emergency due to the disappearance of individuals. In Orange County, homes, businesses, and roads sustained significant damage.
In only three hours, roughly 17cm of precipitation fell at the West Point military academy. The US media referred to it as a once-in-a-millennium rainfall event for that location. Monday, the military academy posted on Facebook that "West Point remains on Code Red." The storm may not completely depart the region until Wednesday morning, according to the NWS. As a consequence of the weather, more than 1,000 flights to New York airports were canceled.
Amtrak has suspended train service between New York City and Albany due to damaged tracks caused by inundation. This week, the south-western United States, including Arizona, is expected to experience record-breaking temperatures, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
