Severe thunderstorms have moved across the Ohio Valley into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, threatening major metropolitan areas along I-95. Some areas experienced multiple storms with heavy rain and strong winds.
More than 29 million people in parts of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut are under tornado watches until 9 p.m. ET, according to the Storm Prediction Center. New York; Philadelphia; Newark, New Jersey. Bridgeport, Connecticut is within the surveillance area.
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Roads destroyed by flooding in Yonkers
Damaging wind gusts exceeding 60 mph are the most concerning threat and can occur almost anywhere throughout the hazard area. Stronger wind gusts can occur when storms come together to form a bow line. The bow-shaped storm begins to look like a closing bracket on radar as it moves east.
As of Tuesday evening, about 130,000 people in areas affected by the storm were without power, according to Poweroutage.us.
We cannot rule out the possibility of hail or a few tornadoes, especially in parts of the Appalachians. Flash flooding may also occur, especially in areas where multiple severe storms occur in rapid succession.
Dennis Davis, who lives in Clermont County, Ohio, told CNN affiliate WKRC that he took his grandchildren to the basement as soon as he heard the tornado warning.
“The wind picked up, the lights flickered, and then we heard a really loud bang, which of course was the sound of a tree falling on the house,” she said.
Davis added that everyone was in a safe position under the basement stairs when the tree fell.
Tree falls on home in Clermont County, Ohio
“When I cried, my grandparents cried too,” Davis said of the moment she first saw her tree. “I don’t know what to do from here.”
Two tornadoes have been confirmed in northern New Jersey. Severe thunderstorms are possible in major cities along the I-95 corridor from Washington, DC to New York, primarily during the evening commute from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET.
Rain falls in the Binghamton, New York area
The Big Apple’s sewer infrastructure is old and has limitations.
Built over a century ago, the system is built to handle only about 1.75 inches of rainfall per hour. In recent years, as abnormal weather events have become more frequent, the limits of this system have become apparent. When the system recedes under the pressure of large amounts of rainfall in a short period of time, roads in low-lying areas, homes, and metro stations are flooded.
New York City processes approximately 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater each day using a system consisting of more than 6,000 miles of sewer pipes and 135,000 catch basins.
Approximately 60% of New York City uses combined sewer systems, where wastewater and stormwater share the same pipes. During heavy rains, excess rainwater can overwhelm the system.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Gloria Pazmino, Juliana Bragg and Danya Gaynor contributed to this report.
