New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency for multiple counties after intense rainstorms and flooding forced more than 13,000 residents lost electricity and one person was killed Sunday evening.
Sen. James Skoufis said authorities were working to see whether there were more casualties, as “vital infrastructure and homes were washed away.”
Some are calling the storm the worst flooding the region has seen since Hurricane Ida in 2021.
“My biggest concern is the fact that most people’s lives that are lost during a flood event occur because they’re in their vehicles — not in their homes, but in their vehicles," Hochul was quoted as telling reporters.
Regional rainfall totaling two to five inches has been forecast, with some locations already getting six to eight inches by Monday morning.
A spokesman for the New York State Police said officers were helping stranded motorists on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County who had reported crumbling roads.
One person was reportedly swept away by the rains in New Hampshire, and another 19 were rescued from their homes. A representative of the Vermont Urban Search and Rescue Team said that the towns of Londonberry and Weston were "inaccessible" by midday Monday.
A flash flood emergency, the highest level of alert, was announced in Vermont after the state received 1.5 inches of rain an hour, and some two-dozen roads were shut down statewide.
“This may just be the start of what we will see,” said Governor Phil Scott Scott, pointing out that the rains could continue for hours to come." "We have not seen rainfall like this since Hurricane Irene, and in some places it will surpass even that," he added.
The rains are expected to continue, with heightened flash flooding warnings extending to New Hampshire and Maine.
Travel disruptions were also reported. Newark and LaGuardia airports said they were having flight disruptions, while Amtrak reported that it had temporarily stopped rides between New York City and Albany.
Authorities urged residents to avoid flooded areas and stay tuned in to weather reports across New England.