Millions of Americans from the Midwest to the Northeast were facing the threat of torrential rain and possible floods beginning Tuesday as the remnants of Hurricane Patricia strengthened storms that have already soaked the Gulf Coast.
Between one and two inches of rain was expected from the Tennessee Valley into the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes Tuesday, The Weather Channel said. Three inches of rain was possible in some areas.
The precipitation will move through the Northeast on Wednesday through midday on Thursday and urban flooding is possible along the I-95 corridor, it said.
Lighter rain and showers were still possible in the South, Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Mississippi Valley, according to National Weather Service predictions.
Parts of Louisiana were under water Monday after severe thunderstorms moved through the Gulf Coast area after drenching Texas over the weekend.
Baton Rouge got more than 8.5 inches of rain on Sunday, with residents posting pictures of thigh-high water. Students at Louisiana State University posted video of playing volleyball in the floodwaters and 20 children were rescued from a stranded bus stuck on a flooded bridge.
The rain system moving through the Midwest and Northeast could also pack winds of 15-30 mph with higher gusts from the Plains to the Great Lakes on Wednesday. It will be followed by colder temperatures toward the end of the week, the NWS said.
