30 million under flood watch as rain pounds Mid-Atlantic
Western states cope with dangerous heat
Heavy rains pounded much of the Mid-Atlantic and deep into upstate New York for a fifth day, bringing little relief to the waterlogged region Wednesday.
Meanwhile, across the USA, nearly 40 million people from Washington state to Arizona were dealing with a dangerous heat wave, the National Weather Service said.
Some of the worst rain and flooding Wednesday was in central Pennsylvania, closing roads and businesses, sending creeks and streams spilling over their banks and requiring rescues and evacuations.
July rainfall records were set in both Williamsport and Harrisburg, most of it falling since Saturday morning.
“We’ve experienced what we call an atmospheric river, which is where the pattern sets up and creates a fire hose, bringing moisture from the Atlantic,” said John Banghoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College.
Overall, about 30 million people have been under a cloud of flood watches for days, most of them in the East, as almost a quarter of the nation struggled with a double whammy of overwhelming waters or excessive heat.
Weather service radar Wednesday afternoon showed bands of moderate to heavy rainfall with embedded thunderstorms from eastern North Carolina into Maryland, central Pennsylvania and central and western New York state.
This week’s rain pushed Baltimore to its wettest July on record.
The highest total from the storm so far was the 16.55 inches that’s fallen in Dunkirk, Maryland.
Fortunately, much of the East can expect a break from the soggy, tropical weather pattern by this weekend, AccuWeather said. However, tropical downpours are likely to return next week.