NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Tropical Storm Elsa swept into the Tri-State on Friday morning, bringing heavy rain and the potential for strong wind gusts from the Jersey Shore to Long Island.
The epicenter of the storm was moving about 90 miles south of Montauk, with the heaviest rains being seen on Long Island and along the Connecticut coast. New York City and New Jersey were still seeing some rain as outer bands stretched into the western parts of the Garden State.
Soaking downpours were seen across much of the area by daybreak Friday, especially along the coasts, where wind gusts could top 50 mph. The National Weather Service warned people about hazardous travel conditions and the potential for flooded roadways. Up to 6 inches of rain was possible in some areas.
Nearly 2 inches of rain had fallen in Central Park on Friday morning in addition to the over 4 inches that fell there on Thursday. That’s almost a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds from the storm peaked near 50 mph as it moved through the city and Long Island, the National Hurricane Center said in an 8 a.m. update. Wind speeds had ticked down from overnight readings as high as 78 mph in coastal New Jersey that appeared to be “associated with nearby tornadoes,” the center reported.
Scattered flooding caused issues on roadways throughout the area as winds downed trees. Some power outages were also reported, mainly in New Jersey and on Long Island, where about 7,000 customers were without power at 9 a.m.
The storm's arrival came after thunderstorms packing drenching rains and even hail rolled through the region Thursday in a separate system that flooded roads and sent water rushing down into underground subway stations in New York City.
A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Nassau County, western Suffolk County, southern Westchester County and southern Fairfield County until 12 p.m. In addition, a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for parts of Suffolk County.
A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect for New York City and parts of northern New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley and Connecticut until 12 p.m.
The rain and winds continue through the a.m. rush before moving out later this morning.
Clouds will give way to some sun in the afternoon with a heavy thunderstorm in spots later in the day or into the evening, according to AccuWeather. The high will be 86.
Saturday and Sunday are humid and partly cloudy with highs in the low 80s. A thunderstorm could pop up Sunday and again on Monday, when the high will be 83.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related
Related
