Since Sunday, torrential rain in the Northeast has caused flooding that is destroying roads, turning streets into rivers, washing away cars and damaging homes. And while that sounds pretty bad in itself, the videos people have posted show the damage making it even worse than you initially guessed just by reading about it..
NBC News report that the Hudson Valley in New York received at least 8 inches of rain overnight, although some areas may have received nearly 10 inches of rain. For context, that’s obviously how much rainfall the valley typically gets during the summer. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency in two counties and the National Weather Service has declared a flash flood emergency, something it has only done once before in the area. there.
Sadly, flooding isn’t just about property damage. A woman died after being swept away while trying to get to higher ground with her dog.
And New York is not the only state dealing with these floods. Across the Northeast, about 27 million people are under flood monitoring or flash flood warnings. Even areas with “only” five or six inches of rainfall are dealing with damage from fast-moving flash floods. Reading, Pennsylvania recorded 5.35 inches of rain, the heaviest ever in a single day in July. One Reading resident posted a video of their Ford Mustang swept away. But they seem to be trying their best in such a situation, adding the caption, “I told my car she can be anything she wants. MF turned into michael phelp.”
Norfolk, Connecticut was also badly affected, receiving about 5 inches of rain in just 90 minutes. It’s not just an incomprehensible amount of rain in less time than it takes to see Barbie doll film, but more rain is expected this weekend.
Hopefully residents across the Northeast can stay safe, but this sucks, friends. Really bad. If you’re in that area, make sure you’re taking precautions to keep yourself safe — and consider evacuating if the opportunity arises.
