Another day brings another round of heavy rain and more flood problems for portions of the East Coast. A stubborn weather pattern is bringing heavy soaking rains repeatedly to the same areas, pushing rivers and streams out of their banks and onto streets and into homes.
Fast moving flood waters are also challenging the structural integrity of many roads and bridges in portions of the Mid Atlantic. In Maryland and Pennsylvania especially, reports of roads being washed away are streaming in. In Codorus Township, Pennsylvania, the York County OEM shared a picture of one road that buckled and was partially washed away.
The National Weather Service has embarked on a program wrapped around the slogan, “Turn around, don’t drown – never drive through flood waters.” While flood waters can easily wash automobiles and people away, muddy swift waters can also obscure hidden dangers that lurk beneath them. While it may look like only a few inches of muddy flood water cover a road, it’s possible there’s many feet of missing pavement and gravel hiding there.
With the threat of floods increasing, the National Weather Service has expanded Flash Flood Watches for a large part of the eastern U.S. including the heavily traveled I-95 corridor between Washington, DC and New York. Flash Flood Watches are now up for portions of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina. Within this large watch area, the National Weather Service has also issued Flood Warnings where flooding is occurring or is imminent.
Residents in the eastern U.S. should become familiar with flood terms and the advisories the National Weather Service issues for different flood conditions.
