More than 20 million people are on alert for coastal flooding in the northeastern US.
Floods due to high tide on 20 of January of 2019 in Scituate, Massachusetts.
Photo: Scott Eisen / Getty Images
Millions of residents of the Northeast Coast of the United States, including Baltimore and Washington DC , are on alert for coastal flooding caused by tides , as a large and powerful low pressure system moves from the center of the US to the northeast, according to CNN.
“Right now, we expect it to be one of the worst tidal flood events we’ve had in recent 06 or 20 years in many places in the Chesapeake Bay basin, ”said Chris Strong , National Weather Service (NWS) advisory coordinating meteorologist in Sterling, Virginia, told CNN Weather. “The biggest impact we expect here in the Baltimore / Washington area and along the Chesapeake Bay is tidal flooding.”
The tidal floods s are expected to peak on Friday and continue through Saturday . During this time, coastal flooding of two to four feet in height is likely.
One of the biggest tidal flood events of the past 10 – 20 years (possibly since Hurricane Isabel at some local), is expected Friday & Saturday. Those along tidal shores should get ready for exceptional tidal inundation! Tidal forecasts here: https://t.co/Q2WdpDGgIJ pic.twitter.com/LQkL80 pcs
The last time tidal conditions were this bad was during Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
The river height for the Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland, is forecast to reach more than 5 feet. This would make it the second highest recorded tide , behind a height of 6.2 feet that was reached at 2003 during Isabel.
That’s why advisories insist that residents be alert because exceptional tidal flooding
can occur in some areas.
A powerful system of storms , which originated from record rain event in California and generated tornadoes in the south, it will bring multiple types of extreme weather east of the country on Saturday.
Isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms will be possible Thursday from Florida to the Carolinas with damaging winds and a few tornadoes the main threats. Heavy rain from the Mid-Atlantic through New England may lead to urban and renewed river flooding Friday and Saturday. pic.twitter.com/lUYP0GP6tJ
L he rain waves, some strong, will pass through the entire region from Friday, which could cause flooding foci near streams and areas poor drainage. Typically 1 to 2 inches of rain should fall, and some areas should see up to twice that amount.
The winds will blow at least 30 mph in most areas, being strongest from mid-morning through Friday afternoon. Along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, gusts could exceed 50 mph, prompting wind advisories and high wind advisories.
The combination of heavy rain and high winds is also likely to cause power outages.
It is important to note that for the Chesapeake Bay near Cambridge, four of the five highest tidal ridges on record have occurred since September 2003. At Windmill Point he has logged 8 of his 10 Highest peaks recorded since September 2006.
“The long-term rise in sea level due to the increase in global and ocean temperatures as a result of the Climate change makes coastal flood events like this happen more frequently, with the impacts of higher floods worsening, ”he said. Brandon Miller , CNN meteorologist.
