BLOG: Rain, Rain Go Away
By Steven Strouss
Give yourself plenty of extra time heading out this morning. Numerous Flash Flood Warnings are in effect and rainfall rates of 1-2+ inches per hour are occurring over our region.
The ground is saturated and streams, creeks and rivers are spilling over their banks. Street flooding and road closures are numerous and mass transit has many cancellations or delays because of the flooding.
Mud and flood waters closed parts of I-76, Kelly Drive, the Roosevelt Blvd. and parts of Rt. 38 and Rt. 70 in N.J. Many other highways and roads have high water and detours. Do not drive through flood waters; this is a very dangerous situation!
Since Monday, over eight inches of rain have fallen in parts of the Delaware Valley. All of this rain is a combination of remnants of Tropical Storm Lee combined with a slow moving cold front. The large and persistent storm system will continue to spin over our region today and the Flood Watch has been extended through this afternoon.
As of 6 a.m., heavy rain and thunderstorms continue to train over our region. Training is the term used when repeated areas of heavy rain move over the same region in a relatively short period of time, producing excessive rainfall amounts which often lead to flash flooding.
Rain chances will stay with us through the weekend, but there will be dry weather and sunshine as we head into early next week.
