"Life threatening" flash flooding and water rescues ongoing in New Jersey (2024)

Heavy rain has prompted several flash flood warnings across northern New Jersey that is producing “life threatening flash flooding,” according to the National Weather Service.

The warnings include over 5 million people.

Reports indicate that more than 3.5 inches of rain has already fallen across areas of New Jersey just west and south of New York City.

Additional rainfall of 1-2 inches is possible through the morning hours.Storm reports from the region indicate high-water rescues, numerous road closures and rivers quickly reaching flood stages.

Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Perth Amboy, Somerset and Morristown are several cities in New Jersey that are included in the flash flood warnings.

Eight customers in Queens, New York, have temporarily lost power after two manholes caught on fire, a spokesperson for Con Edison said.

Around 1:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, crews were dispatched to the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens to the manhole fires, which were caused by severe weather affecting the region, said Con Edison spokespersonKarl-Erik Stromsta. He also confirmed that there were no injuries reported.

Crews are currently working at the site and are expected to restore service around 10:30 a.m. ET, he said.

As of 7:25 a.m. ET, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued several flash flood warnings in New Jersey.

A flash flood warning continues until 11:00 a.m. ET in central New Jersey, including the cities of New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Lakewood.

The National Weather Service in New York also issued a flash flood warning for parts of northern New Jersey, including Newark, Jersey City and Paterson until 9:30 a.m. ET.

The governors of New Jersey and New York have each issued a state of emergency in advance of ananticipated nor'easterthis week, which is expected to bring heavy rainfall and flooding.

"The winds are blowing all theway down toward the deep south.The winds in Boston later ontonight and overnight could be60 to 65 miles per hour," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.

There are two low pressure systems, one of which is already causing the rainfall. The other system is expected to get bigger later on Tuesday, he added.

"It may even get a littlesubtropical.Not going to get a name, butit'll have a lot of warm waterto work with.That's the Gulf Stream.By tomorrow afternoon, thingsreally get harrowing forparts of the Northeast.There will be winds on shore. There will bewaves on shore —8 to 12 feet tall.There will obviously be thisrainfall coming down as well; high wind warnings are in effectfor the costal areas," Myers explained.

The only good news? "It's notgoing to be a snowstorm.Because in a month or two fromnow, those temperatures would bein the 30s, and we'd beshoveling this," he added.

Watch:

The National Weather Service in New York is urging travelers to use caution as a flash flood watch is in effect for the area today.

According to the weather service, 2 to 5 inches of rain could fall today, with locally heavier rainfall of up to 6 inches possible.

Strong winds and minor coastal flooding are also anticipated.

According to the weather service, there is currently a flash flood warning in effect for northern New Jersey, including the cities of Newark, Paterson and Jersey City until 9:30 a.m. ET.

A snowless nor’easter intensifying off the East Coast will bring heavy rains, leading to flash flooding in the New York Metro and extreme winds from New Jersey to Massachusetts today into tomorrow. Power outages will be likely in the region.

Here is what we expect across the Northeast, including in both New York and Boston.

Flooding rains are likely: The rain is already beginning in New Jersey and New York this morning. Flash flooding is being reported in parts of New Jersey, and rain will continue through the day and end overnight into Wednesday. The flashfloodwatch is currently scheduled to end Tuesday evening. Winds will increase through the day as the system strengthens.

Rain will move out of the area Wednesday, leaving gusty winds through the day.

Further north, Boston will see periods of rain this morning, with the heaviest Tuesday afternoon continuing into Wednesday.

Extreme winds will knock out power: A high wind warning is in place for parts of Eastern Long Island, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. "Widespread power outages are expected," says the NationalWeatherService. "Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”

Eversource Energy is warning that more than 100,000 could lose power in the storm, as early season nor’easters present a greater risk to power lines since the leaves are still on the trees.

“When trees still have most of their leaves, the risk of tree-caused outages with a nor’easter is much higher,” according to Sean Redding, CT Manager of Vegetation Management. “Weighed down by the rain, the leaves act like a sail, causing the tree to bend with the wind.”

The strongest winds in New York will be Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.

In Boston, winds will increase through the day, with the strongest winds overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Conditions there will slowly improve late Wednesday morning, with some impacts lasting into the evening.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency beginning at 8 p.m. Monday night in anticipation of the nor’easter, according to atweetfrom the governor.

“Severe weather conditions will impact the state starting tonight through the next several days,”Murphy said.

"A rapidly developing low pressure system south of Long Island will likely produce heavy rainfall across the region," according to the National Weather Service in New York.

Flood and flash flood watches are in effect from southern New Jersey to northern Massachusetts.

There is no doubt that the rainfall in the Northeast over the next couple of days will be because of this strengthening low pressure system, but there remains uncertainty on how strong it will get and how close to the coast it will track.

"Anytime you have two areas of low pressure trying to combine in the warm Gulf Stream off the Northeast Coast, models will differ on their solutions," says CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

Forecasters are certain there will be rain but still unsure of how much. The Weather Prediction Center has issued a level 1 out of 4 "marginal risk" for excessive rainfall Monday and a level 2 "slight risk" for excessive rain Tuesday.

"Rainfall totals as this time look to be on the order of 2 to 4 inches,"the weather service in New York wrote.

But some computer weather models are showing isolated amounts of 5 to 7 inches of rainfall.

"Hopefully, this scenario does not come to fruition as this would lead to widespread flooding issues,"writes the New York weather office.

Winds are the other issue; the closer this storm tracks to the Northeast coast, the more robust the winds will feel to people living along the coastline. A closer storm also means that stronger winds will spread further inland.

Winds gusting to over 50 mph are not out of the question for eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with gusts topping out near hurricane-force on Cape Cod and the Islands.

With the winds will also come coastal flooding, which is possible during high tide cycles on both Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service said.

A similar system, made famous byGeorge Clooney in the '90s, has its 30th anniversary later this week. While forecasters don't think this will be "The Perfect Storm," it will share some similarities in the types of conditions that can be expected.

The Boston National Weather Service hasan interesting write-up on the storm's anniversary.

Another similar storm to Tuesday's nor'easter will try to develop by the weekend, says Myers. "But the energy for that one is still off the West Coast and will need some more time to forecast accurately."