Residents in the US Northeast are battered by a powerful storm that has resulted in deadly flooding in the region, prompting officials to issue alerts for the safety of the people.
The weather phenomenon affects more than 13 million people in the region and has caused widespread damage. Forecasters added that flash flooding from excessive rainfall is expected across New England until Tuesday morning, noting that Vermont faced the highest risk.
Flooding in US Northeast
Authorities also issued warnings to parts of Vermont, urging residents to brace for "catastrophic" flooding on a scale that has not been seen since 2011. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also declared a state of emergency in two counties due to the risks involved with the situation.
Furthermore, flood watches would remain in effect until at least Tuesday afternoon for several parts of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Connecticut. On Sunday, as per BBC, one woman in her 30s became a fatal victim in New York state as flood water swept through the region's streets.
Officials said the woman was trying to flee her home with her dog to escape the flood water. They added that the victim crossed with her pet, lost her footing, and tragically washed away into a ravine.
More intense rainfall is forecasted in northeastern New York and northern Vermont. On Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said that dangerous flooding in the affected areas would continue or worsen throughout the night. The agency added that impacts include turning from flash flooding to river flooding.
The massive storm had caused flooding that rendered multiple areas in the New England state inaccessible. Media outlets reported that people were being forced to travel via canoes, and churches were seen being converted into shelters for those who had been driven away.
State of Emergency
Accuweather, a private forecaster, estimated the damage resulting from the flooding to be roughly $3 billion to $5 billion. Additionally, according to Reuters, the situation forced more than 1,000 flights to and from airports across the region to be delayed or canceled on Monday, including New York's LaGuardia and Boston's Logan.
Amtrak also opted to suspend passenger train service between the state capital, Albany, and New York City, following flooding that damaged the tracks. The company shares some of that route's track with the Metro-North commuter railroad into New York, which also suspended some of its services on that line and another one.
Hochul on Sunday said that up to eight inches of rain created "life-threatening conditions.'' Later that evening, more than 12,000 customers in the state lost power. Fortunately, by midday on Monday, that number had dropped to 3,800.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott was also forced to declare a state of emergency, adding that swift water rescue teams were staged in strategic locations throughout the region. He said that they would be there in case they were necessary to help with evacuations and rescues from floodwaters, said Yahoo News.
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