BOSTON – Flood Watches are in effect for millions of people in New England from Connecticut and Rhode Island through Boston and into Maine as a coastal storm develops and brings more torrential rain to the region through at least the first part of this new workweek.
Commuters from Philadelphia to New York City along the I-95 corridor in the Northeast had a tough time on the roads Monday morning and evening.
This latest rain event comes days after Hurricane Lee lashed the region and significant flooding in Leominster, Massachusetts last week that caused a Flash Flood Emergency.
The National Weather Service in Boston said 5-8 inches of rain fell from the tropical system and washed out roads and flooding homes and businesses.
This renewed threat isn’t as significant as last week, but there is potential for more flooding because the ground is already heavily saturated.
Lower rainfall totals are expected closer to the New York City metro area where people in the Big Apple can see less than a half inch. However, the farther east and north you go, rain totals will be higher.
In general, New England will likely see a few inches of rain, but higher amounts of up to 3 inches are possible.
Those higher rainfall totals could fall across Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts and along the New England coast into Maine.
Several storm systems have been pouring water on the region, and some areas are seeing a huge surplus in rainfall totals so far this year.
Hartford, Connecticut, for example, is running more than 10 inches above average this year.
Boston isn’t far behind with a surplus of 8 inches. Elsewhere in New England, rainfall totals are running about 7-8 inches above average.
The National Weather Service has put millions of people in New England under Flood Watches that will remain in effect through at least Tuesday morning.
The entire state of Rhode Island is under the Flood Watch, as well as portions of Connecticut and central and eastern Massachusetts, including Boston.
Most of New Hampshire and Maine are also under the Flood Watch as the region prepares for heavy rain to continue through the day and could increase in intensity.
