Severe Storms Threaten New York, Northeast; Flights Cancelled
28 Aug 2026 12:04 PM IST28 Aug 2026 12:04 PM IST
Flash Flood Warnings Issued As Heavy Rain, Damaging Winds And Hail Hit Region
Severe thunderstorms across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic disrupted rail services and cancelled hundreds of flights, while New York City remained under flash flood warnings.
Severe thunderstorm watches are up in New York City and much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as powerful storms cut New Jersey Transit commuter lines and ground hundreds of flights.
Severe thunderstorms, which can bring hail, damaging winds and raise the risk of tornadoes, are possible from Upstate New York to Delaware, the National Weather Service said. A line of powerful storms across New Jersey is threatening flash flooding as up to 2.5 inches of rain has already fallen and more is on the way.
New York City also is in the flash flood warning area through this afternoon and a flood watch remains in effect through late Thursday. Trains on New Jersey Transit’s Coast Line have been suspended due to flooding near South Amboy, the commuter agency said on its website.
In addition to the flood threat to nearly 39 million people, there is a level 2 risk of severe thunderstorms bringing hail and damaging winds across a large part of the Mid-Atlantic from Upstate New York to Northern Virginia, the US Storm Prediction Center said. There’s also a 2% risk of tornadoes.
Wind gusts up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour are possible with these storms, the center said, with a potential for golf ball-sized hail in some areas into Thursday evening.
The storms have sent a cascade of flight cancellations through airports across the Northeast, including New York’s La Guardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport. In all, 559 inbound and outbound flights had been scrubbed from Boston to Washington as of 2:30 p.m., according to FlightAware, an airline tracking service.
“New Yorkers: Thunderstorms could bring heavy rain and damaging winds to our city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a Bluesky post. “If conditions are dangerous, please wait to travel.”
Last week, New York was shaken as a rare tornado touched down on Long Island’s Atlantic Beach. The Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and parts of New England have seen waves of thunderstorms this summer that have grounded thousands of flights, driven residents from their homes and caused massive power outages. Parts of northwest Indiana were without electricity for more than 10 days after a wave of storms swept through.
In July, residents in Upstate New York had to flee their homes when heavy rains set records in Albany and brought almost a foot of precipitation to the surrounding area.
Thursday’s rain may be hit or miss across the region, with some areas getting drenched and others avoiding the worst of it, said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center.
“There is decent rain in the forecast for that area but not everyone is going to get hit,” Hurley said. “We are more worried about repetitive rounds. For New York City and Philly, it is multiple rounds.”
New York City also is in the flash flood warning area through this afternoon and a flood watch remains in effect through late Thursday. Trains on New Jersey Transit’s Coast Line have been suspended due to flooding near South Amboy, the commuter agency said on its website.
In addition to the flood threat to nearly 39 million people, there is a level 2 risk of severe thunderstorms bringing hail and damaging winds across a large part of the Mid-Atlantic from Upstate New York to Northern Virginia, the US Storm Prediction Center said. There’s also a 2% risk of tornadoes.
Wind gusts up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour are possible with these storms, the center said, with a potential for golf ball-sized hail in some areas into Thursday evening.
The storms have sent a cascade of flight cancellations through airports across the Northeast, including New York’s La Guardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport. In all, 559 inbound and outbound flights had been scrubbed from Boston to Washington as of 2:30 p.m., according to FlightAware, an airline tracking service.
“New Yorkers: Thunderstorms could bring heavy rain and damaging winds to our city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a Bluesky post. “If conditions are dangerous, please wait to travel.”
Last week, New York was shaken as a rare tornado touched down on Long Island’s Atlantic Beach. The Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and parts of New England have seen waves of thunderstorms this summer that have grounded thousands of flights, driven residents from their homes and caused massive power outages. Parts of northwest Indiana were without electricity for more than 10 days after a wave of storms swept through.
In July, residents in Upstate New York had to flee their homes when heavy rains set records in Albany and brought almost a foot of precipitation to the surrounding area.
Thursday’s rain may be hit or miss across the region, with some areas getting drenched and others avoiding the worst of it, said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center.
“There is decent rain in the forecast for that area but not everyone is going to get hit,” Hurley said. “We are more worried about repetitive rounds. For New York City and Philly, it is multiple rounds.”
( Source : Bloomberg )
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