After a night described as “complete chaos” that washed away roads and bridges, continued rain and widespread flash flooding are expected in New York and New England on Monday, a day after torrential rainfall flooded homes, stranded vehicles, and caused other damage in the Hudson Valley.
At least one person, a woman in her 30s, died in the flooding, the authorities said. Steven M. Neuhaus, the county executive in Orange County, N.Y., said on Monday that the victim had been trying to evacuate from her home while carrying a pet when she lost her footing and was swept into a ravine.
Floods in Orange County, N.Y., inundated the roads of Highland Falls on Sunday. The deluge prompted a state of emergency in the county.CreditCredit…@aichelbee/Instagram via Reuters
“Last night was complete chaos,” Mr. Neuhaus said in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
While the water has receded in some places, the damage to roads and bridges has made it difficult for search and rescue teams to fan out and make sure residents are accounted for, he said.
“There’s some people that could have been swept away,” he said.
More rain is expected in the Northeast on Monday. A high probability of excessive rainfall is likely for the area across the Champlain Valley and Northern Vermont, where the most prolonged rainfall duration is likely.
Typically, these rains would be concerning in their own right. But forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center said that many areas in central and northern New England have seen 200 to 300 percent of their normal rainfall over the past 14 days. Streams are already running abnormally fast, with some at all-time record flows, meaning even a little more rain would exacerbate the situation.
Heavy flooding on Sunday washed out part of the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County, N.Y.Credit…New York State Police, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The Hudson Valley bore the brunt of the storm on Sunday, with as much as eight inches of rain recorded in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. West Point, the U.S. Military Academy, was hard hit, and roads were closed and debris was strewn around in the surrounding area.
Other roads were also impassable, including parts of the heavily traveled Palisades Interstate Parkway, and several bridges collapsed, according to Trooper Steven V. Nevel of the New York State Police.
Transportation difficulties were continuing Monday through the region. As of Monday morning, dozens of flights had been canceled out of LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports in New York, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service. More than 30 flights were also canceled out of Boston Logan International Airport.
Amtrak services were suspended between New York City and Albany on Monday. A New York City-bound Amtrak train had been halted as it approached Poughkeepsie on Sunday evening, with an Amtrak employee announcing that there had been a “complete washout of both tracks” south of the city, preventing any travel by train.
And with trees and other debris still covering the tracks, Metro-North on Monday suspended part of its Hudson Line between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie.
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced a state of emergency on Sunday, and expanded it later to include more areas of the state. “If you’re in an area impacted by tonight’s storms, please stay off the roads and take steps to stay safe,” she said on Twitter.
Flash flood warnings were in effect early Monday morning, including in Rockland County and northern Westchester County, according to the National Weather Service.
The service also forecast more heavy rain that could result in “life-threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.”
