It’s been a wet week across much of the South, but the flood threat is shifting to other regions the next couple of days.
A cold front will absorb the remnants of Hurricane Nicholas, leading to downpours and severe storms Wednesday and Thursday across the Midwest and Northeast.
Rain amounts
The heaviest rain will probably drench portions of the mid-Atlantic, eastern Great Lakes and the southern and central Appalachians. The National Weather Service has had flash flood watches posted for these areas since early Tuesday. The watches are set to expire around midday Thursday, which is when the NWS expects the rain to taper.
The watches include Detroit and Lansing, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Toledo, Ohio; most of Pennsylvania east of Pittsburgh; western Maryland; western Virginia; as well as northwestern North Carolina.
Look for widespread rain totals of 2 to 4 inches across the watch areas, with up to 6 inches in high-terrain locations.
Repeated rounds of rain and storms will likely result in areas of flash flooding, in addition to potential ramp and road closures. This will be especially true in low-lying regions and areas with poor drainage.
By late Thursday, most of the rain will be moving slowly through New England, possibly lasting into the weekend.
Lanes of concern
• Interstate 69 from Lansing to Fort Wayne.
• Interstate 75 from Flint, Michigan, to just north of Dayton, Ohio.
• Interstate 76 from Somerset, Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia.
• Interstate 80/90 from Jamestown, Indiana, to Florence, Ohio.
• Interstate 81 from Marion, Virginia, to Scranton, Pennsylvania.
• U.S. Highway 30 from Fort Wayne to Mansfield, Ohio.
Severe storms
Storms could produce scattered areas of large hail and extremely gusty winds Wednesday in parts of West Virginia, eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. A few isolated tornadoes could also develop.
The severe weather risk includes Youngstown, Ohio; Wheeling, Clarskburg, Morgantown and Elkins, West Virginia; as well as the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Lanes of concern
• Interstate 68 from Morgantown to Piney Grove, Maryland.
• Interstate 70 from Cambridge, Ohio, to Somerset.
• Interstate 79 from Meadville, Pennsylvania, to Sutton, West Virginia.
• Interstate 80 from Windham, Ohio, to Brookville, Pennsylvania.
• Interstate 95 from Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Philadelphia.
• Interstate 376 from West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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