(NewsNation) — The same storm system that sent Ohioans canoeing through suburban streets and teens sliding down sidewalks in Alabama is working its way through the Northeast.
Providence, Rhode Island was soaked with more than six inches of rain, and one man had to be rescued from his car. Highways were shut down for hours and multiple structures collapsed in the wake of flash flooding.
Drivers proved just as stubborn in Connecticut, where some areas received a typical summers season’s rainfall in the span of a couple days.
Flash flood watches remained in effect through the afternoon, as seven inches of rain is expected in eastern Connecticut — falling at the rate of an inch or two per hour.
A flash flood watch for New York City was lifted at 5 p.m. Eastern.
This storm is a double-edged sword for the region: The rain is needed, but flash flooding is more likely because the ground is dry, an d the ground is really dry, as the Northeast has been coping with an awful drought.
For example, New York has only seen about 25% of its typical precipitation over the past two months.