CNN
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Drivers from Raleigh to New York City could be in for difficult Monday morning commutes as an intense storm system moves up the East Coast, bringing miserable downpours and gusty winds.
Traffic along swaths of the coast’s busy I-95 corridor has been at risk of delays from wind and rain throughout the weekend and into Monday as the storm has advanced from the Southeast and up the coast.
Cities including Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Virginia Beach could see streets flooding as heavy rains move in. About 58 million people are under flood watches from North Carolina to Maine Monday morning.
New Yorkers could find themselves ankles-deep in floodwaters in some low-lying areas, with around 1 foot of inundation expected.
Around 45 million people from eastern Georgia to the Northeast were also under high wind alerts late Sunday. The National Weather Service warned strong gusts may make travel particularly difficult in parts of southern Connecticut, southeastern New York and Boston.
These strong gusts may down trees and power lines, as well as damage or blow away outdoor holiday decorations in parts of the region, officials have warned.
Minor to moderate urban flooding could inundate parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, particularly in areas with poor drainage, the NWS in New York City said. The risk is especially high for low-lying housing such as first floors, basements and underground residences, it said.
The storm wreaked havoc over the weekend in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, triggering dangerous flooding in eastern South Carolina and prompting a tornado watch in North Carolina that encompassed more than 1 million people at its peak.
More than 32,000 homes and businesses in Virginia and the Carolinas were still without power late Sunday night, according to the tracker PowerOutage.us.
Air travel is already being disrupted at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where high winds are causing delays of nearly 3 hours on average for flights headed to the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The storm system will start to push away from the Northeast later Monday evening, but its effects will likely linger, the weather service said.
“Even though the big storm will begin to depart the Northeast Monday evening, the huge circulation of the storm will overspread the entire eastern U.S. with very blustery conditions,” the weather service said.
Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press
Lance Kreitzer, 21, waits in his kayak while fire and rescue workers work to assist residents on a flooded road in St. Petersburg, Florida, on December 17.
The storm began trekking up the coast on Saturday, sweeping through much of Florida and then skirting the Southeastern coast on Sunday, battering coastal communities with powerful winds and at times record-breaking rainfall.
More than 1 million people in eastern North Carolina were under a tornado watch through Sunday night as the weather service warned wind gusts of up to 65 mph were possible. By 2 a.m. Monday, the watch had narrowed to around 100,000 people.
A flash flood emergency was also issued in South Carolina’s eastern Georgetown County, just south of Myrtle Beach, where water rescues were underway Sunday, the National Weather Service said. The weather service in the region said it has also received reports of snapped power poles, trees fallen on homes and damaged buildings in the area.
About 40 miles south of Myrtle Beach, nearly a foot of rain was recorded in Georgetown, according to the weather service.
The state also saw several record rainfall totals, including 3.86 inches in downtown Charleston, where the last record of 1.18 inches was set in 1923.
CNN’s Nouran Salahieh contributed to this report.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
