"Tidal-wave type" flooding leads to at least one death, "swirling" cars, dozens of rescues in Northeast

Heavy rain spawned extreme flooding in New York's Hudson Valley north of New York City that killed at least one person, swamped roadways and forced road closures Sunday night. Much of the rest of the Northeast U.S. also got hit with downpours.

As the storm moved east, the National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings into Connecticut, including the cities of Stamford and Greenwich, before creeping into Massachusetts. Forecasters said some areas could get as much as 5 inches of rain.

"Widespread flash flooding is expected tonight and Monday into Monday night across much of the Northeast, especially eastern New York and western and central New England," the agency tweeted on Sunday.

Widespread flash flooding is expected tonight and Monday into Monday Night across much of the Northeast, especially eastern New York and western and central New England. pic.twitter.com/DUdnd94hSA

— NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) July 9, 2023

The storm also brought heavy rain and dangerous flooding to parts of Vermont. As of Monday morning, 19 people had been rescued from cars, trees and homes, with Londonderry, Weston and Ludlow bearing the brunt of the damage, said Anson Tebbetts, the Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. Meanwhile, evacuations were underway in Plymouth, which is about an hour north of Londonderry by car.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency Sunday, with WVNY-TV reporting at the time that 10 people had to be taken from a flooded campsite in Andover, in the southwestern part of the state. And, in Pennsylvania, at least 40 people in the city of Reading were displaced, CBS News Philadelphia reported.  

In New York's Hudson Valley, people in the Orange County area saw an estimated 9 inches of rain between Sunday and Monday, said Gov. Kathy Hochul, adding that the state deployed more than 1,000 emergency workers to assist local governments in their response to what she called a historic weather event. 

Law enforcement and first responders waded through waist-deep water to retrieve people trapped in "swirling" cars as rescue teams worked to retrieve the body of a woman who drowned after being swept away while trying to evacuate her home. Two other people escaped.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus told CBS New York a woman in her mid-30s and her dog were swept away by floodwaters while she was evacuating her house in Highland Falls. The woman was later found dead at the bottom of a ravine, he said at a news conference Monday, from which rescue teams were able to eventually recover her remains. Neuhaus said the dog was found safe and taken in by a neighbor.

The police chief of the town of Highlands, Frank Basile Jr., said in a statement to CBS News that the woman was also trying to evacuate her father. There was no word on his fate or whether he was one of the two people who escaped the rushing waters.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders that rammed the woman's house and damaged part of its wall, Neuhaus told The Associated Press. "Her house was completely surrounded by water," he said. " ... She was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves."

"Orange County experienced a 1-in-1,000-year weather event last night. The rain has subsided, but the crisis is not over," Hochul wrote in a thread Monday morning shared to Twitter. "I just toured the area — there's significant damage to homes, business, & infrastructure."

Hochul confirmed to WCBS radio that several people were missing and one home was washed away.

A state of emergency is in effect for Ontario County as well as Orange County, where residents were relying on a local restaurant for warm meals on Monday because the storm knocked out power to many homes and businesses in the area, the governor said. Road closures are also in place for a number of Hudson Valley counties, including Orange.

"As ongoing extreme weather conditions continue in Northeast New York, the Lake Champlain region is at greatest risk for flash flooding," Hochul wrote in another tweet posted on Monday. "As we've seen, conditions can change in an instant. New Yorkers should take this seriously & prepare."

The county executive of the northern New York City suburb of Rockland County told CBS New York six hikers were rescued at Bear Mountain, including a child who was taken to a hospital with a head injury. "The rain came in at an amazing clip. It really did have an effect on the stability of the sides of the mountain," Ed Day said.

The extent of the destruction from the slow-moving storm, which pounded the area with up to 8 inches of rain, won't be known until later Monday. But officials said the storm had already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.

Parts of Metro-North train service were expected to be suspended in both directions through Monday because of flooding and downed trees, CBS New York reported. Amtrak train service between Albany and New York City was also temporarily suspended because of the weather, according to CBS New York.

More than 1,000 flights scheduled to fly into or out of LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy or Newark airports had been canceled as of Sunday night, according to FlightAware.com. Over 550 more had been canceled or delayed at those three airports and Boston's Logan International as of midday Monday, FlightAware said.

The rains have hit some parts of New York harder than others, but officials said communities to the east of the state should brace for torrential rains and possible flash flooding.

The governor declared a state of emergency Sunday for Orange County, about 60 miles north of New York City. She later extended the state of emergency to Ontario County in western New York, southeast of Rochester.

The state deployed five swift-water rescue teams and a high-axle vehicle to help with rescues in flooded areas.

Some video posted on social media showed the extent of flooding, with streams of brown-colored torrents rushing right next to homes and roadways washed away by fast-moving cascading flows.

Over 150 water related call including dozens of water rescues. Currently state fire, Monroe county water rescue, Ontario county water rescue and several other agencies are assisting. pic.twitter.com/bvNMKjPkKd

— Canandaigua Fire (@IAFF2098) July 10, 2023

West Point, home to the U.S. Military Academy, was severely flooded. Officials worry some historic buildings might have water damage.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings across parts of southeastern New York, describing it as "life threatening," as well as warnings in northeastern New Jersey.

By Monday, "a considerable flood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall is expected across much of New England," NWS said in a tweet.

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