Flood Warning for Nine States as Heavy Rain Soaks Parts of US

Flood warnings are in place for nine U.S. states after the Atlantic coast was battered by a deadly storm earlier in the week, and meteorologists are now predicting a stream of moisture flowing southward over the Pacific.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued alerts for parts of Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia and Vermont, warning of potentially treacherous driving conditions as rivers continue to overflow due to excessive rain.

On Monday, it said a "deep storm" would produce heavy rain over the mid-Atlantic and the Appalachians, with snow expected to follow in parts of the Great Lakes. As of Tuesday, the storm had caused fourth deaths, felled trees and brought down power lines, with hundreds of thousands of power outages recorded in New England.

In its latest forecast, the agency said the threat of excessive rainfall will next hit southern California, creating "numerous areas of flash flooding with narrow canyons/gullies and burn scars the most vulnerable."

"Furthermore, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers."

Western states have been subjected to a "prolific series" of atmospheric river storms from the Pacific, having experienced the effects of a similar weather front last winter.

The NWS said that an area of high pressure over the southeast and mid-Atlantic will moisten the air over the Plains and Great Lakes, with light rain expected over the western Gulf Coast before expanding into the Mississippi Valley.

Several rivers in Maine are already experiencing minor to moderate flooding due to the earlier storm, including the Androscoggin, Piscataquis and Penobscot rivers.

At West Enfield, the Penobscot River is out of its banks in a few areas with "high flows," as residents were warned to prepare additional rises. Meanwhile, State Route 11 is also flooded in some places, but is still thought to be passable.

Rivers such as the Merrimack and Shawsheen that run through Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island have been subject to minor flooding, which is forecast to continue. The Connecticut River, which runs through Vermont and New Hampshire, has also tipped over into lowland flooding.

The Barton River in Vermont was 1.5 feet over its flood level near Coventry on Tuesday, but is forecast to fall below that on Wednesday, while Otter Creek was three feet above its flood limit on Tuesday.

Major flooding has taken place along parts of the Passaic River in New Jersey, exceeding the previous record of 11.45 feet. Measured at 12.4 feet on Tuesday evening, the Route 46 ramp to Willowbrook Mall, near Singac, could flood, restricting access, the NWS warned.

Minor flooding is forecast, or already occurring, along other New Jersey rivers, including the Rockaway and Pequannock.

The Hudson River has burst its banks in places, such as near Troy and Fort Edward, New York. Minor flooding is expected along several other rivers in the state, including the Susquehanna, which also runs through Pennsylvania.

The Black River near Tomahawk, North Carolina, among others, is also experiencing minor flooding. The Waccamaw River is forecast to see moderate flooding, including near the old Highway 544 in South Carolina.

Florida's Santa Fe River is among those in the state forecast to see flooding, with minor damage to homes possible in Fort White due to boat wash. A portion of southeast Virginia, including Sussex County, is seeing river flooding, which is expected to continue till Wednesday evening.

The NWS warned motorists across the country against attempting to drive around barricades or through flooded areas, and to take extra precaution when driving at night as "it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding."

"Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," it said. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles."