Downpour Still Causing Havoc in the Northeast

A sixth straight day of rain from a storm that has parked itself over New Jersey snarled traffic Wednesday, delaying flights and causing flooding.

Several Northeastern states have been hit with heavy rain in the last week, including New Hampshire, where three people have been confirmed dead in flooding and four others remained missing.

The National Weather Service canceled a flood watch for New Hampshire on Wednesday but said the already saturated area could see 3 to 6 inches of rain in the next few days.

“It’s not a good situation at all,” said Tom Hawley, National Weather Service hydrologist in Gray, Maine. “Chances are better than 50% for renewed small-stream flooding.”

New Jersey remained under a flood watch, and streams and rivers in several areas were overflowing. Minor to moderate flooding was expected, with rain expected to continue through Saturday.

“Everything is so saturated that the water has no place to go,” said Roy Miller, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Mount Holly, N.J., office.

Flooding was reported in several counties, and arriving flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed by as much as five hours because of rain.

Business districts in Hackensack and Princeton were experiencing flooding, high water in Jersey City caused delays approaching the Holland Tunnel, and the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford canceled its thoroughbred racing programs.

In New York City, the storm dropped more than 4 inches of rain, and more was expected through today, the weather service said.

At LaGuardia Airport, 35 flights were canceled amid the steady downpour, officials said.

In some New Hampshire towns, officials went door-to-door to give instructions in case residents needed to get out quickly because of rising water.