Weather Authority: Flash flood watch as heavy rains from nor'easter impact region
PHILADELPHIA - The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for parts of the area as a nor'easter brought downpours and possible severe weather to parts of the region Monday night into Tuesday afternoon.
The coastal storm continues to make its way northward and while it hasn't been a direct hit for our region, things were quite intense in the overnight hours with thunderstorms and plenty of rain.
As Tuesday progresses, the heavy rain will be falling in the Poconos and in northwestern New Jersey, according to FOX 29's Sue Serio.
By late Tuesday morning, expect a few breaks from the rain but flooding will persist due to the sheer accumulation of heavy raining. Rain will renew in the evening hours, but it won't be as heavy as what we received overnight.
Winds will gust to 25 MPH inland and up to 35 MPH down the shore Tuesday afternoon and evening. Wind advisories in place forecast heavy winds throughout the evening.
The flash flood watch currently covers Montgomery County, Lehigh County, Lower Bucks County, Northampton County, Philadelphia County, Mercer County, Burlington County, and all of northern New Jersey until Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Forecasters expect rainfall totals in some areas to reach around 2-4 inches by Tuesday afternoon. The rain is expected to taper off completely by Wednesday morning as the rest of the storm pulls away. Wednesday will be a blustery day though.
While rainfall totals vary, the weather service says the entire region has a chance at seeing a severe isolated thunderstorm during the days-long weather event.
The main concern with the impending storm is flash flooding in parts of New Jersey and coastal flooding in shore towns.
Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties in New Jersey that goes into effect Monday at 8 p.m.
"The anticipated Nor’easter storm is forecasted to bring significant flash flooding, coastal flooding, and wind gusts across New Jersey," said Gov. Murphy. "Residents should stay off the roads, remain vigilant, and follow all safety protocols."
According to Gov. Phil Murphy there were roughly 3,200 outages in the early morning Monday hours; however, it was a positive sign as those numbers had started around 4,000. He said it is likely that more outages will be reported as the winds pick up again Tuesday evening.
"While we encourage everyone to stay in and sit tight until the storm passes, we recognize that may be hard for some due to jobs or school," Gov. Murphy said, urging those to stay away from downed powerlines.
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TUESDAY: Showers off & on. High: 68, Low: 61
WEDNESDAY: a.m. rain, windy. High: 64, Low: 52
THURSDAY: Sunny, dry. High: 63, Low: 48
FRIDAY: Cooler, p.m. showers. High: 59, Low: 53
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