After a night described as “total chaos” that washed out roads and bridges, continued rain and widespread flash flooding are expected in New York and New England on Monday, a day after torrential rainfall flooded homes, blocked vehicles, and caused other damage in the Hudson Valley.
At least one person, a woman in her 30s, died in the flooding, authorities said. Steven M. Neuhaus, the county executive in Orange County, NY, said Monday that the victim was trying to evacuate from her home carrying a pet when she lost her footing and was swept into a ravine.
“Last night was complete chaos,” Mr. Neuhaus said in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
While the water receded in some areas, the damage to roads and bridges made it difficult for search and rescue teams to fan out and make sure residents were accounted for, he said.
“There are some people who could be carried away,” he said.
More rain is expected in the Northeast on Monday. A high probability of excessive rainfall is likely for the area across the Champlain Valley and Northern Vermont, where the most prolonged rainfall is likely.
Typically, these showers would be concerning in their own right. But forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center said many areas in central and northern New England saw 200 to 300 percent of their normal rainfall over the past 14 days. Rivers are already running abnormally fast, with some all-time record flows, meaning that even a little more rain would exacerbate the situation.
The Hudson Valley bore the brunt of the storm on Sunday, with as much as eight inches of rain recorded in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. West Point, the United States Military Academy, was hit hard, and roads were closed and debris was strewn around in the surrounding area.
Other roads were also impassable, including parts of the heavily traveled Palisades Interstate Parkway, and several bridges collapsed, according to Trooper Steven V. Nevel of the New York State Police.
Transport difficulties continued on Monday across the region. As of Monday morning, dozens of flights had been canceled out of LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports in New York, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service. More than 30 flights were also canceled out of Boston Logan International Airport.
Amtrak services were suspended between New York and Albany on Monday. A New York-bound Amtrak train was stopped as it approached Poughkeepsie on Sunday evening, with an Amtrak employee announcing that there had been a “complete removal of both tracks” south of the city, preventing any travel by train.
And with trees and other debris still covering the tracks, Metro-North on Monday suspended part of its Hudson Line between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York declared a state of emergency on Sunday, and expanded it later to include more areas of the state. “If you are in an area affected by tonight’s storms, please stay off the roads and take steps to stay safe,” she said on Twitter.
Flash flood warnings were in effect Monday morning, including in Rockland County and northern Westchester County, according to the National Weather Service.
The service also predicted more heavy rain that could result in “life-threatening flash flooding of streams and creeks, urban areas, highways, streets and subways.”