Heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds are currently moving through the Northeast on Friday as a significant storm system lifts into Canada.
The storm system has caused 11 confirmed tornadoes across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina. Fortunately, the worst of the rain is now over for the Interstate 95 corridor, with only occasional showers expected throughout the afternoon.
A wind advisory has been issued from Maine to Georgia, with gusts near 50 mph for some areas on Friday. The eastern U.S. from the Great Lakes to the Carolinas and up to Maine is under flood and wind alerts.
Friday afternoon is expected to bring gusty winds, with some higher elevations in New England possibly experiencing gusts of up to 55 mph. These gusty winds are predicted to persist into Saturday. Meanwhile, a tornado with winds reaching up to 100 mph, classified as an EF-1, resulted in damage near St. Augustine, Florida on Thursday.
Over the past 24 hours, a total of 77 damaging storm reports have emerged from Florida to West Virginia, alongside the occurrence of tornadoes. Notably, wind gusts reached speeds ranging from 58 to 68 mph in North Carolina and Virginia.
A flash flood emergency wreaked havoc in the Pittsburgh area as heavy rainfall of nearly 4 inches poured down within hours. The situation led to numerous water rescues being reported throughout the night in the Pittsburgh metro area.
Pittsburgh is currently experiencing the wettest start to any month on record. Over the past 11 days, the city has received a staggering 7 inches of rain.
Several roads in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, were forced to close on Thursday as a result of flooding. The city experienced an unprecedented amount of rainfall, with 3.23 inches recorded in a single day.
