US Weather Forecast: Weather System Threatens New York City, Northeast Region with Flooding Rainfall [NWS]

A weather system is threatening New York City and the Northeast region of the United States with flooding rainfall, according to the latest US weather forecast by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Friday, September 29.

Latest reports said New York's Brooklyn area is already experiencing raging floodwaters as of Friday morning, affecting commuters and motorists as public transport and road traffic movement came to a halt in the area.

The inclement weather in the Northeast comes following the passage of Tropical Storm Ophelia, as well as similar Atlantic storms like Philippe threatening the northeast Caribbean region. In the past several weeks, the East Coast and Southeast US have experienced heavy rain and weather hazards related to the current Atlantic season.

Earlier in September, Hurricane Lee made landfall in eastern Canada, even affecting the New England region of the US.

Weather System Alert

In its short-range forecast at 4:05 a.m. EDT (local time) on Friday, the NWS' Weather Prediction Center (WPC) forecast that the weather system will slowly move through the Northeast on Friday, producing widespread heavy to excessive rainfall across the region.

In addition, the WPC warns that excessive rainfall threat could result in flash flooding, especially in the New York City metro area and even into parts of Connecticut. Meanwhile, localized heavy rain is also possible in parts of Florida from Friday until the weekend.

Under the weather system alert, the NWS warns there is a "Moderate Risk" of excessive rainfall over parts of the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England regions. The adverse weather is due to a low-pressure system over the Mid-Atlantic coast, where it will gradually move northward to the south of Long Island, New York. By Sunday, October 1, the system will push eastward to the Western Atlantic Ocean.

New York State of Emergency

Brooklyn, being one of the hardest hit areas in New York City, saw many people dealing with the flash flooding as early as Friday morning, where some cars were abandoned and towed amid the flood threat. The morning commute was also disrupted as heavy rain flooded subway platforms, as well as streets and highways.

Due to the threat posed by the flooding rainfall, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for New York City, Lond Island, and the Hudson Valley as a response to the "significant, dangerous rainfall" that is currently affecting the region, according to the New York Governor's Press Office.

In its news release on Friday, the Governor's Press Office said they are expecting the extreme weather event to continue for the next 20 hours. As a measure, the New York government deployed thousands of state personnel and directed state agencies to aid the natural disaster. The office warned the public to take precautions and avoid flooded roads due to the threat of flash floods.