Sunday, May 31, 2015

Tropical Depression One-E Has Formed; The First System of the 2015 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season

May 28,2015

Highlights

  • Tropical Depression One-E has formed about 685 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. 
  • Tropical Depression One-E is expected to strengthen to a tropical storm soon, and a hurricane Friday.
  • Rapid intensification - an increase in sustained winds of 30 knots or more in 24 hours or less - is possible over the next day or so, due to low wind shear and warm sea-surface temperatures. 
  • Once it strengthens into a tropical storm it will receive the name, Andres.
  • This system will likely remain well off the Mexican coast, eventually weakening over colder water early next week.
  • High surf appears to be the most likely indirect impact along the Baja peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas, this weekend into early next week.
(MORE: Hurricane Season Outlook | Hurricane Central | Tropical Update)

The Latest Status, Forecast Path and Infrared Satellite Maps


Latest Status

Projected Path

Infrared Satellite

MORE: Hurricanes By the Numbers (PHOTOS)

It's Late May, And There's Still Snow on the Ground in Boston

Carolyn Williams
Published: May 29,2015



 

It may be spring in Boston, and despite warmer temperatures, giant piles of snow still lie on the ground months after the city’s snowiest winter on record.
Garbage and debris litter one pile that was reduced from 75 feet to three stories, creating an unsightly view in the city’s Seaport District, the Boston Globe reports.
Cleanup crews have cleared about 85 tons of trash from the still massive pile, according to the Associated Press. As the mound melts, debris continues to break away.
(MORE: Alaska's Record Warmth Captured In Colorful NASA Photo)
“It’s vile,” Commissioner Michael Dennehy of Boston’s Department of Public Works told the Globe, “We’re finding crazy stuff; bicycles, orange cones that people used as space savers — the funniest thing they found was half of a $5 bill. They’re looking for the other half, still.”
Why is the snow taking so long to melt?
Michael Dietze, associate professor in Boston University’s Earth and Environment Department, told Boston.com that there are three contributing factors: pile thickness, the amount of energy required for melting and a rainfall deficit.
With these factors taken into consideration, it looks like Beantown will be stuck with the dirty winter reminders a little while longer. 
MORE: Boston Snow 2015

Life-Threatening Flooding in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Submerges Cars

Eric Zerkel
Published: May 29,2015




 
Storms moved into the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex overnight and dumped several inches of rain on an already over-saturated area, causing major flooding on roadways that submerged vehicles and prompted multiple high water rescues.
Hundreds of motorists were stranded at Loop 12 at Interstate 30 due to high water. In order to clear the stranded vehicles, the Texas Department of Transportation removed the center median. Spokesman Tony Hartzel of the TexasDOT said the section of roadway will be closed for days, or "until it's safe," The Dallas Morning News said.
"A slow-moving band of thunderstorms moved into the Dallas-Fort Worth area from the west overnight, allowing heavy rain to fall over the same areas for a few hours," said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam.
"A few individual thunderstorm cells that moved into the area from the South also merged with the line of storms increasing rainfall, especially just northeast of Dallas, which enhanced rainfall and led to the dangerous flooding."
(MORE: Latest News On Southern Plains Flooding)


Looks like , but it's . I-30 is a parking lot. Miles Long. See you at 4.
Rainfall totals greater than 6 inches in some areas prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency Friday morning, indicating life-threatening flooding conditions on numerous impassable roads across the area. As of Friday morning, Dallas had already eclipsed its wettest May on record, with 16.07 inches of rain already recorded, according to the National Weather Service.
At the moment, there are no reports of injuries or fatalities, but dangerous situations were reported all across the Metroplex.
In Dallas County, emergency responders have responded to more than 270 weather-related calls, including water rescues, the Dallas Morning News reports.
"It was pretty crazy," Dallas resident Israel Ramos told NBC News. "I was panicking for a good while hoping that it would stop long enough for the water to go down some. I have never seen the street get like that before and I'm stranded right now."
Even police had to be rescued from the high water. A Sachse police officer was diverting traffic when his SUV got stuck in flooding, the Associated Press reported. He was stuck for about two hours; during that time, a dive team tried unsuccessfully to reach him.
Eventually, a rescue helicopter arrived and lifted the officer from the scene, the report added.
An RV park also flooded in Carrolton, Texas, to the northeast of downtown Dallas.
To the southwest, in Johnson County, county emergency management coordinator Jamie Moore said that more than a dozen high water rescues had been conducted by local authorities as of early Friday morning. Moore added that 45 roads were closed across the county.
Most of the heavy rain moved out of the Metroplex by 6 a.m. local time, but with many creeks and rivers across the area threatening to crest above flood stage, the dangerous situation is far from over.

Texas and Oklahoma Set All-Time Record Wet Month; Other May Rain Records Shattered in Arkansas, Nebraska

Chris Dolce, Nick Wiltgen, Jonathan Erdman
Published: May 30,2015





 
May 2015 is now the wettest single month on record in Texas and Oklahoma.
State climatologist Gary McManus from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey calculated the May rainfall total averaged over all Sooner State reporting stations through midday May 29 - 14.18 inches - was easily outpacing the previous record wet month, set in October 1941 (10.75 inches).
Not to be outdone, Texas has picked up a statewide average of 7.54 inches so far in May, crushing the previous record wet month of June 2004 during which a statewide average of 6.66 inches of rain fell, according to the Office of the State Climatologist at Texas A&M University.
"It has been one continuous storm after another for the past week to 10 days in several regions of the state," said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist in a press release Wednesday. "Spring is usually wet, but not this wet."
More than 100 locations in the central and southern Plains are currently reporting river flooding, the majority of which are in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, eastern Kansas and Missouri. Officials in parts of Texas are warning that river flooding could last for weeks.
Many cities have already clinched a wettest May or month in their weather record including Dallas-Ft. Worth, Wichita Falls, Oklahoma City and Corpus Christi.

In Pursuit of Rainfall Records


North/Central Texas May Rain Totals and Rankings

Central/South Texas May Rainfall and Rankings
































From Colorado and Nebraska to Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, several cities have seen one of their wettest Mays on record. Here's a look at where things stood Sunday evening, May 31, with just a few hours left in the month.
Amarillo, Texas – 9.29 inches of rain had fallen, making it the second-wettest May on record. The all-time record is 9.81 inches in May 1951.
Austin (Camp Mabry), Texas – Extremely heavy rainfall on May 25 dumped 5.20 inches of rain at Camp Mabry, lifting Austin to its wettest May on record. The rain tally was 17.59 inches of rain through late May 31, making it by far the wettest May on record, topping the old record of 14.10 inches in May 1895. It's also the third wettest month on record. September 1921, with 20.78 inches, leads the pack for the city's wettest month.
Across town, Austin Bergstrom International Airport logged its second-wettest May since records began in 1943, tallying 13.44 inches, exactly a quarter-inch shy of the May record set in 1965.
Brownsville, Texas – While most other areas of Texas finally caught a break, Brownsville saw torrential downpours totaling 3.50 inches on the final day of May, sending the southernmost large city in Texas to a new May rainfall record of 9.72 inches. The previous May record had been 9.12 inches in 1982.
Because of the many hurricanes that have hit the region over the decades, this month was easily outranked by a slew of Septembers and Octobers on the year-round list. May 2015 was only the 31st-wettest month overall for Brownsville, counting the entire calendar.
Childress, Texas – Despite a population of just 6,000 or so, this northwest Texas town is one of the National Weather Service's official "first-order" climate and weather observation sites. And it had never observed weather quite like that of this May. As of late May 31, the monthly rainfall total stood at 13.21 inches; this will replace June 1941 (12.05 inches) as the city's wettest month ever recorded.
Corpus Christi, Texas – Rainfall in May 2015 was 14.32 inches through late May 31, which is well beyond the previous May record of 10.44 inches that was set in 1941. A total of 4.56 inches fell on May 21 to clinch the record. Amazingly, just nine days prior, exactly 4.56 inches of rain also fell in the city. May 12 and May 21 are now tied as the third-wettest May days in the city's weather records.
According to weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen, May 2015 now exceeds Corpus Christi's total rainfall for the entire drought-parched year of 2011, which was only 12.06 inches.
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas  – 16.96 inches of rain had fallen through late May 31 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, smashing the old May record of 13.66 inches in 1982.
The wettest month on record in the Metroplex is 17.64 inches in April 1922. This is the single wettest month in the Metroplex since April 1942 -- 16.97 inches.
It is also the second wettest spring (March through May) on record with 25.04 inches so far. The current record is 29.01 inches set in 1957.
For purposes of recordkeeping, the National Weather Service considers DFW Airport data since 1974 to be a continuation of rainfall records kept in Fort Worth from 1898 to 1974.
Dallas, Texas – The official National Weather Service observation site for Dallas proper is currently Love Field, where 14.98 inches of rain had fallen by late May 31. That broke the May record of 13.74 inches set in 1957. It ranks third among all months, behind October 1981 (16.05 inches) and April 1966 (15.40 inches).
Del Rio, Texas – This border city along the Rio Grande west of San Antonio came very close to a new May rainfall record, logging 10.17 inches through late May 31. This ranks third among all Mays, just behind 2010 (10.45 inches) and 1957 (10.23 inches).
Houston, Texas – 14.17 inches of rain had fallen through late May 31 at Bush Intercontinental Airport on the city's north side, putting it in fifth place among the city's wettest Mays. The record wet May there is 15.87 inches in 1907. 
Lubbock, Texas – 12.12 inches of rain had fallen through May 30, making it Lubbock's second-wettest May on record. The total will likely fall a bit short of the 12.69 inches needed to claim the title for the wettest May. According to the National Weather Service, the last time it rained 8 inches or more in a month in Lubbock was September 2008 with 8.70 inches.
It is also the third-wettest month in the city, behind May 1941 (12.69 inches) and September 1936 (13.93 inches), oddly a Dust Bowl year.
Wichita Falls, Texas – May 2015 became the wettest month on record in this northern Texas city early Friday afternoon, May 22, when the city's month-to-date total reached 13.33 inches as of 1:11 p.m. CDT. That broke the record for May and for any month on the calendar, both set in May 1982 with 13.22 inches. As of late May 31, the monthly total was exactly 17.00 inches.
According to the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, May 2015's rainfall in Wichita Falls exceed that from the previous six Mays combined - 13.41 inches.
Shaded areas show estimated rainfall since the start of May 2015. Specific numbers plotted on the map are actual totals from airport observations and CoCoRaHS volunteer observers.
Oklahoma City – Oklahoma's capital reached a month-to-date total of 14.53 inches at 5:56 p.m. CDT on May 23, breaking its all-time May rainfall record of 14.52 inches in 2013. Only 21 minutes later, the city broke its June 1989 record of 14.66 inches to become the wettest month in Oklahoma City history. An extremely heavy downpour followed with more than 2 inches of rain.
Oklahoma City's new all-time record monthly rainfall total cracked the 19-inch mark May 27. The final May total was 19.48 inches as of May 31. This is more than the average precipitation over a five-month period from March through July (18.68 inches).
Tulsa, Oklahoma – The city's May total is 14.77 inches through late May 31, making it the second-wettest May on record. The record of 18.00 inches in May 1943 has withstood this year's strong challenge.
Fort Smith, Arkansas – This western Arkansas city has now recorded its wettest month in history with 19.85 inches of rain through late May 31. This broke the previous record of 15.02 inches in June 1945.
Wichita, Kansas – The largest city in Kansas topped the 10-inch mark May 23 thanks to heavy rainfall. Through May 30, the city's month-to-date total was 11.77 inches, making it the second-wettest May on record. The standing record for May is 13.14 inches in 2008.
Lincoln, Nebraska – 10.90 inches of rain has fallen through May 30, ranking as the wettest May in the Nebraska capital, topping the previous wettest May record of 10.72 inches set in 1903.
Valentine, Nebraska – 7.12 inches of rain has fallen through late May 31, ranking as the third-wettest May. The current record wettest May of 8.96 inches was set in 1962.
Colorado Springs, Colorado – 8.13 inches of rain at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport through late May 31 ranks as the wettest May on record. The previous wettest May was in 1935 when 8.10 inches was recorded. Interestingly, several co-operative and volunteer observation sites only a few miles west of the airport have picked up 10 to 14 inches of rain this month.
Of the first 30 days of May, 23 had measurable precipitation (.01 inch or greater) at the Colorado Springs airport; that is an all-time record for any month, crushing the record of 21 days in August 1927. Six other days had a trace of precipitation. As of 9:30 p.m. local time May 31, another trace of rain had fallen, though showers moving toward the city could turn that into a 24th day of measurable precipitation.
Pueblo, Colorado – A total of 5.55 inches of rain had fallen through May 30, making it the wettest May on record. The previous record for wettest May was in 1957 when 5.43 inches was measured.
Every day from May 5 through May 30 – that's 26 straight days – brought at least 4 inches of rainfall to at least one location in the state of Texas, according to CoCoRaHS, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. At least 100 of the volunteer network's 1,699 reporting sites in Texas have recorded at least 10 inches of rain this month. The wettest of all has been Pottsboro, near Lake Texoma along the Oklahoma-Texas border with a total of 26.16 inches through May 30.
Oklahoma has also taken a drenching this month, with month-to-date totals topping 10 inches across much of the southern half of the state. Lane, Oklahoma has seen 28.17 inches of rain since May 1 according to the Oklahoma Mesonet. A CoCoRaHS site northeast of Norman has reported 26.57 inches of rain in May 2015.
Among other states in the May rainy zone, top month-to-date totals by state include 20.44 inches near Uniontown in northwest Arkansas; 16.59 inches near Ruston in northern Louisiana; 13.83 inches in the Ivywild neighborhood of Colorado Springs, Colorado; 13.03 inches near Fairbury in southeast Nebraska; 15.33 inches 5.5 miles southeast of Topkea, Kansas; and 15.07 inches in Shell Knob in southwestern Missouri.
The 12 National Weather Service offices located in Texas and Oklahoma had issued a combined 571 flash flood warnings so far in May through early on May 30. In all of 2014, they only issued 497 such warnings.

Southern Plains Flooding Recap

A flooded bayou in Houston, Texas on May 26, 2015.
(DoubleHornPhoto.com)
Overnight Thursday into early Friday, more flash flooding pounded the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, stranding cars and flooding apartments.
(MORE: Dallas-Ft. Worth Flooding May 28-29)
More than 10 inches of rain fell in parts of Houston last Monday night, causing widespread flash flooding in the city. A flash flood emergency was issued by the National Weather Service for much of the night.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, catastrophic flash flooding overnight Saturday into early Sunday flooded hundreds of homes in Hays County, Texas, including areas near Wimberley and San Marcos.
(RECAP: Catastrophic Flash Flooding Texas, Oklahoma | Jaw-Dropping Houston Flood Images)
The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, Texas, says flooding is likely to continue for weeks along the Nueces River just west of Corpus Christi. The flooding is affecting a stretch downstream of the Wesley Seale Dam, which impounds Lake Corpus Christi.
Lake Texoma, a reservoir impounding the Red River on the Texas-Oklahoma border, was at its highest level on record as of Sunday morning at 645.65 feet.
Downstream, the Red River is expected to crest the first week of June at levels comparable to the May 1990 flood in Shreveport, Louisiana, potentially flooding some streets in Bossier City and north Shreveport.
According to the National Weather Service, thanks to the number of full reservoirs and tributaries upstream, the Red River may remain high through at least the end of July in the Ark-La-Tex region.
The rising Wichita River prompted evacuations of parts of the east side of Wichita Falls, Texas last Wednesday night and Thursday morning. However, the river crested about 2 feet lower than original forecasts and about 3 feet below the late June 2007 record.

PHOTOS: Southern Plains Flooding, May 2015

Tropical Depression Two-E Forms; Forecast to Become Tropical Storm Blanca

May 31,2015

Highlights

  • Tropical Depression Two-E has formed about 400 miles off the coast of the Mexican Riviera.
  • Tropical Depression Two-E is expected to strengthen to a hurricane by Wednesday or Thursday.
  • Once it strengthens into a tropical storm it will receive the name, Blanca.
  • This system is expected to move somewhat erratically through mid-week, potentially taking a zig-zag course over open water before making a more decisive move northwestward later in the week.
  • It's too early to tell whether future Blanca will affect the Baja California peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas. If it does, it would be no sooner than the first weekend of June. Please monitor the progress of Blanca if you live in or are visiting this area.
(MORE: Hurricane Season Outlook | Hurricane Central | Tropical Update)

The Latest Status, Forecast Path and Infrared Satellite Maps


Latest Status

Projected Path

Enhanced Satellite

MORE: Hurricanes By the Numbers (PHOTOS)

Southern Plains Flooding: At Least 31 Killed in Texas and Oklahoma; Texas' Trinity River Breaches Levees

Sean Breslin
Published: May 31,2015




 
Officials continue to deal with the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding that killed dozens and left several missing in Oklahoma and Texas over the last few days.
The Trinity River breached levees Sunday night, flooding Bristol, Texas, area homes, according to the National Weather Service. Residents were urged to act quickly and move to higher ground.
Submerged downtown connector in Atlanta.
(Glenn Warren)
Texas made history during this flooding ordeal, receiving a statewide average of 7.54 inches of rain so far this month, shattering the record of 6.66 inches in June 2004.
(MORE: When Will All This Rain End?)
At least 31 deaths have been reported from flooding and tornadoes over the last week. Several bodies have been identified, including that of 6-year-old Andrew McComb Friday night. In addition, at least 7 remain missing. Here are the latest impacts from both Texas and Oklahoma.

Louisiana

Heavy rains brought flash flooding to New Orleans Sunday, inundating several streets across the city, NOLA.com reported. Some vehicles stalled on the entrance and exit ramps of Interstate 610, and authorities are asking motorists to avoid certain roadways due to flooding.

Texas 

Some Bristol, Texas, area homes were flooded Sunday night as the Trinity River breached various levees, the National Weather Service reported.
Saturday storms brought more flooding to Houston, but according to spokesman Jeff Lindner of Harris County Flood Control District, the storms were moving, providing for a less-serious and more routine situation, the Associated Press said. Minor floodwaters inundated Minute Maid Park while the Houston Astros played, as well.
A woman's body was recovered from the Blanco River late Saturday afternoon, the AP reported. The body was found between San Marcos and Wimberley, Texas. The woman's identity has yet to be determined. Another unidentified woman's body was discovered Saturday morning.
Early Saturday morning, Dallas Love Field issued a ground stop on all flights taking off to avoid storms. The ground stop was lifted within a couple hours.
The body of a young boy discovered near the Blanco River on Wednesday was identified as 6-year-old Andrew McComb, KIII-TV reported. The boy's grandfather Joe McComb revealed the identity to the station Friday evening. McComb's mother and sister are still missing, and his father Jonathan was released from the hospital.
The McComb's were staying in a vacation home, located in the town of Wimberley, which was washed away by floodwaters while several families were inside, celebrating the Memorial Day weekend. Of the nine people believed to be inside the house at the time of the horrific ordeal, one has been found alive and two bodies have been recovered.
"We're not going to stop looking until we've found them," said Alan Daniel in an NBC News report. He's the brother-in-law of Michelle Carey-Charba, whose body was found and identified Wednesday.
Friday night President Obama signed a disaster declaration allowing the state to utilize federal funding in recovery efforts stemming from severe weather that started May 4.
The funding will assist in immediate aid like temporary housing and more long-term necessities like home repairs.
(MORE: Life-Threatening Floods Swamp Metroplex Overnight Thursday)
Authorities say a man drowned overnight in Mesquite, Texas, after he was swept away in his truck, The Dallas Morning News said.
Another flood victim's body was discovered Thursday in the Houston Ship Channel, KHOU-TV reported. Jack Alter, 87, and his wife Shirley Alter, 85, died during a failed rescue attempt in Tuesday's floods. Alter drowned in Brays Bayou, and his body was discovered by someone in a tug boat.
A mandatory evacuation order was lifted Saturday evening for residents of Wharton, Texas, Click2Houston.com reported. Mayor Domingo Montalvo had issued the order Friday afternoon.
The body of a 51-year-old fisherman swept away by floodwaters in the Brazos River was believed to be discovered on a southeast Texas beach Friday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Associated Press said. The victim's identity has not been released.
Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a disaster declaration to include 24 more counties Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 70 counties under the declaration, according to the AP.
Flooding returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex overnight Thursday, dumping more than a half-foot of additional rain in some areas. It led to water rescues and officially broke the Metroplex's all-time record for May rainfall.
Floodwaters inundated 75 homes in Shallowater Thursday afternoon, KCBD-TV reported. Lubbock County Emergency Management is collaborating with the American Red Cross to provide shelter and meet shelter needs for those affected. A woman was rescued by Good Samaritans after her car became stuck in floodwaters in Lubbock.
As the days drag on and search crews pore over acres of flooded land, it would be easy for family members to lose hope that they'll be reunited with loved ones who were swept away by the current. But in Hays County, Texas, friends and family refuse to give up until they find each one of the missing, dead or alive.
(MORE: The 8 Craziest Photos We Saw From Houston's Flooding)
The extreme, persistent rainfall in Houston drew comparisons to tropical systems that swamped the region in the past.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, Houston Mayor Annise Parker also confirmed there were more than 500 water rescues performed Monday night in the Houston area, and thousands remained without power into Wednesday. Officials said that at least 2,500 vehicles were abandoned by drivers Monday.
One person remains unaccounted for in the Houston area.
Alligator found in parking garage following Houston flooding.
(Rebecca Duensing )
Elsewhere in the Lone Star State, Damien Blade, 14, was confirmed dead in DeSoto after authorities found him in a storm drain Monday, the Dallas Morning News said. The teen went missing Sunday with two of his dogs. One of the two dogs was found dead near the boy's body.
(MORE: How This Flood Event Compares To Past Floods In Houston)
Floodwaters swept away 18-year-old Alyssa Ramirez in Devine as she drove back from prom celebrations Sunday night. Fox San Antonio reports that crews found her body and the vehicle Monday morning.

Oklahoma

With more rainfall on the way, nearly 30 state and U.S. highways remain closed Friday in at least 18 counties, the state department of transportation told the AP.
"Do NOT drive into high water," the Oklahoma DOT warned. "Drivers are cautioned to heed warning signs and to not drive around barricades."
Seven were confirmed dead from flooding and tornadoes over the last few days in Oklahoma, including a Claremore firefighter who died during a water rescue, and a 33-year-old woman who died in a storm-related traffic accident in Tulsa.
(MORE: May's Flooding And Rain Records)
A 37-year-old man was killed in Sapulpa due to the severe weather, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.
On Monday, authorities found a 19-year-old dead in Pawnee and a 91-year-old man dead in Tulsa.
A 34-year-old man died from flooding Friday.
In Blue, a woman died when a tornado destroyed her mobile home Monday, according to the Associated Press.
Claremore firefighter Jason Farley died in the process of rescuing residents caught in floodwaters, state emergency officials say.

Utah

About 100 homes were flooded due to flash flooding Wednesday in Gunnison Valley.
“We had a river going through here,” Gunnison’s Steve Grimshaw told KSL.com. “And we just rediscovered where all of the water used to run before there were homes here.”
Although the area recovered Thursday, mud still remains, KSL.com reports. Damage to the insides of homes was limited, but yards and landscaping were impacted as well.

Flooding Closes Roadways, Prompts Evacuations in New Jersey; Flights Delayed as Storms Roll Through Northeast

Carolyn Williams
Published: May 31,2015





 
After a bout of heavy flooding submerged much of the southern Plains, the East Coast experienced some flash flooding of its own as storms rolled through the region on Sunday.
Heavy flight delays were experienced in multiple northeastern Airports, including John F. Kennedy International, due to the severe weather, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
"Very moist air has arrived in the Northeast, helping fuel thunderstorms with torrential downpours. Despite below-average precipitation in much of the Northeast in recent months, these slow-moving storms are still able to cause flash flooding, especially in urbanized areas where there's a lot of pavement that can't absorb moisture anyway," said weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen.
(FORECAST: Severe Thunderstorms, Flash Flooding Possible in the East on Sunday)
Here is the latest on flooding and additional damage on a state-by-state basis.

Connecticut

Several roadways in Berlin, Connecticut, were flooded Sunday, NBC Connecticut reported. However, there were no road closures. Thousands of power outages due to the severe weather were also reported earlier in the day.
The search for a missing swimmer in West Haven, Connecticut, was suspended Sunday night as severe weather pushed through the area, WFSB-TV reported.

Massachusetts

Thousands of residents were rendered powerless due to the severe weather Sunday afternoon, WCVB-TV reported. Floodwaters in Sudbury, Massachusetts, prompted a water rescue after a family's car became stuck in the high waters, the report added.

New Jersey

Evacuations and property damage were reported in Old Bridge, New Jersey, Sunday night, per the National Weather Service.
Exceptionally heavy rain inundated northern New Jersey Saturday afternoon and evening, leading to serious flash flooding. Residents were asked to stay indoors and avoid flooded areas, NJ.com reported.
The worst appeared to be in the area around Perth Amboy and Raritan Bay. A Weather Underground personal weather station in the Morgan district of Sayreville, New Jersey, recorded 5.64 inches of rain. Of that total, 4.95 inches fell in just 90 minutes.
According to reports relayed by the National Weather Service, 11 people were rescued from a flooded road in Newark, which also saw extremely heavy rainfall. Newark Liberty International Airport recorded 3.65 inches of rain in the 6-hour period ending at 7:51 p.m., making it the third-wettest May calendar day on record in New Jersey's largest city.
Multiple roadways were closed in New Jersey due to flooding, causing minor delays ranging from 10 to 20 minutes, the New Jersey Department of Transportation reported.

New York

A flash flood warning was issued for most of New York City late Sunday afternoon. At least one intersection in Annadale, Staten Island, was closed due to flooding according to National Weather Service local storm reports. A Weather Underground rain gauge in Annadale recorded 4.60 inches of rain; almost all of that came in a two-hour period between 5:38 and 7:38 p.m.
The Weather Underground personal weather station for Annadale, Staten Island, is seen here on the fence in the backyard of meteorology student Alex Calamia. The backyard pool overflowed after 4.60 inches of rain fell, most of it in just two hours Sunday evening. Photo Credit: Twitter/Alex Calamia
Over 3 inches of rain fell in Forest Park, Queens, in a little over two hours, according to another Weather Underground gauge.
The flash flood warning for the five boroughs was allowed to expire at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

Pennsylvania

Homes and businesses were inundated by floodwaters in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, according to local storm reports.
Thunderstorms impacted departures and arrivals at Philadelphia International Airport on Sunday, according to the airport's Twitter.
Strong thunderstorm winds downed and snapped several trees and caused minor damage to a home in Aleppo, Pennsylvania.
A mudslide was reported in the borough of Fallston, Pennsylvania, Sunday evening according to local police reports relayed by the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Debris was reportedly blocking a part of State Route 51 in the area.
Two vehicles sustained damage when they were flipped on their sides by strong thunderstorm winds in Mercer, Pennsylvania, the NWS reported. A gas station sustained damage, as well, when part of its canopy was torn off.

Rhode Island

Cars were stranded in floodwaters in Providence, Rhode Island, according to the National Weather Service.
There were several reports of flooding in Rhode Island, including areas in Smithfield, Pawtucket and East Providence.
MORE: Severe Flooding Slams the Southern Plains - May 2015

Hurricane Andres Becomes First Major Hurricane of 2015 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season

May 31,2015

Highlights

  • Hurricane Andres, the eastern Pacific basin's first hurricane of 2015, is more than 700 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
  • Andres became the season's first major hurricane Sunday afternoon and strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane Sunday evening with maximum sustained wind speeds of 140 mph.
  • Andres is the fifth major Eastern Pacific hurricane on record in the month of May since reliable records began in 1970.
  • Weakening is likely Monday as Andres encounters more stable, dry air and cooler water in its path.
  • Andres is expected to degenerate into a remnant low by Thursday or Friday as it moves off to the west-northwest well away from land.
  • Some high surf, swells may eventually propagate toward the Baja California peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas, into early week.
(MORE: Hurricane Season Outlook | Hurricane Central | Tropical Update)

Maps: Current Status, Forecast Path, Satellite Image


Latest Status

Projected Path

 


Enhanced Satellite

MORE: Hurricanes By the Numbers (PHOTOS)

A Big Cooldown Arrives to End May

Linda Lam
Published: May 31,2015





 
A big cooldown has overtaken parts of the Midwest and Plains this weekend. The cooler air mass is also spreading towards the Northeast for the start of the new week.
This will be a huge change from this past week. Some areas will see temperatures as much as 20 degrees cooler, as highs slide from the 80s into the 50s and 60s.
Temperatures will be closer to what you expect in mid-to-late April than heading into June.
The cooler air is courtesy of a late spring cold front pushing south and east into early week. However, the cold front will not make it into the South, leaving the warm, humid and stormy conditions in the region.
(MAPS: Current Conditions)
Let's examine the chilly details for the Midwest and Northeast below.

Cooler Midwest and Plains

Noticeably cooler temperatures were felt in the Upper Midwest and Plains Saturday with highs generally in the 50s and 60s in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
On Sunday morning locations as far south as northern Illinois, including Chicago, woke up to wind chills in the 30s. The actual air temperature dipped to the freezing mark (32 degrees) in a few spots across northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota.
(FORECAST: Minneapolis | St. Louis | Detroit)

Forecast Highs














On Sunday, the entire Midwest will see temperatures lower than you would expect at this time of year, with highs generally in the 50s and 60s. It will be a little warmer in the central Plains where high temperatures will reach the 60s and 70s.
The cooler highs will make it feel more like mid-to-late April for many cities including Chicago where highs may only reach the 50s on Sunday, compliments of winds off Lake Michigan. Oklahoma City will see highs only in the 70s (average high for the end of May is in the mid-80s).
Overnight lows will be chilly and are expected to dip into the 30s and 40s in the northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes through Tuesday morning with 50s through much of the Plains.
(MAPS: 10-day Forecast)
A slow warm-up back to more typical early June levels is anticipated midweek as an upper-level ridge begins to build into the Midwest.

Northeast Temperature Drop

Cool temperatures will spread east into western New York and northern New England on Sunday. Many locations will be more than 20 degrees colder than late this past week.
High temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average instead of 10 to 20 degrees above average like we saw much of this past week.

Forecast Highs














Hopefully, you haven't put the spring jacket away yet as Monday and Tuesday highs will mainly be in the 60s and 70s across the region with even a few 50s in spots. Lows will typically drop into the 40s and 50s.
(MAPS: Weekly Planner)
Highs in New York City have been in the 80s for the past week, but to start the work week temperatures may only climb into the 60s, which is closer to the low temperatures from this past Wednesday and Thursday (a low of 70 was recorded both days).
Boston will see temperatures plummet from Saturday's upper 80s to highs only in the 50s Monday and Tuesday -- which is a change of more than 30 degrees.
Low temperatures will return to near to slightly below average. A few record warm low temperatures were set this past week including in Syracuse, New York which set a record of 71 degrees on Wednesday, which is warmer than the expected high on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
(FORECAST: Philadelphia | Buffalo | Pittsburgh)
Along with the cooler temperatures, humidity levels will drop too. Dew points will fall back into the comfortable range with readings in the 40s and 50s by midweek.
The cold front will also increase the risk of thunderstorms and a few storms could become severe, especially in those areas where the cold front passes later in the afternoon and early evening. The best chance for strong to severe thunderstorms will be in the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday afternoon.
(MORE: Severe Forecast)
The chance for much-needed rain will continue in the Northeast early this week, as the cold front will linger in the region, which will also help to keep the temperatures down.
Temperatures will remain cool into midweek before another round of warm conditions develop late week, as a southerly flow returns to the Northeast.
MORE: Most Active States Winter vs. Summer

A Break For Soaked Texas and Oklahoma Has Arrived (FORECAST)

Linda Lam
Published: May 31,2015 




 
For a large majority of the Southern Plains, a drier weather pattern has finally arrived after weeks of flooding rainfall. The last of the old regime has finally been swept out of deep South Texas, but not before Brownsville broke its all-time May rainfall record Sunday.
(INTERACTIVE MAP: Latest Flood Alerts)

Flood Watches and Warnings

Five-Day Forecast






























A cold front plunged into the southern Plains this weekend, and the jet stream is finally making a northward migration. This will allow drier, more stable air aloft to take hold in the Southern Plains.
While this wouldn't be strong enough to inhibit all thunderstorms, we think thunderstorm coverage should be much less, with a much lower threat of flash flooding in the week ahead in Texas and Oklahoma. In essence, an extended period of mainly dry conditions is likely for most of Texas and Oklahoma in the week ahead.
(FORECAST: Houston | Austin | Dallas | Oklahoma City)
Instead, next week's thunderstorm clusters may target the northern and central Plains, roughly from Kansas or Nebraska northward.
Though the soaking weather pattern has finally ended, officials in parts of Texas have warned that river flooding could last for weeks as some areas have seen more than 20 inches of rain during May. Several cities and two states have seen their wettest month on record.
(MORE: Record May Rainfall)

Recap: Flooding Over the Past Week

Early Friday morning a flash flood emergency was issued for portions of the Dallas metro area, where multiple water rescues are occurring and travel has become impossible in some areas. Just northeast of Dallas rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches were reported from early Thursday morning to early Friday morning.
(MORE: Dallas Area Flash Flood Emergency)
Flash flooding was also reported Thursday in parts of Oklahoma and Texas. A flash flood emergency was issued in Lawton, Oklahoma.
On Wednesday, mudslides were reported near Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle, evacuations were prompted in the Fort Worth suburb of Blue Mound, numerous streets were flooded in Great Bend, Kansas, and early Wednesday, another round of soaking rain descended into Houston, just 24 hours after a massive flood event brought parts of the Houston area to a halt.
(MORE: Jaw-Dropping Images | Houston Flood vs. Allison)
Widespread flash flooding also occurred in Austin this past holiday weekend. Shoal Creek was just one of many creeks and rivers that came out of its banks and flooded the area Monday afternoon.
Memorial Day weekend flooding also swamped Wimberley, Texas and several locations in Oklahoma.
(MORE: Catastrophic Flooding)
MORE: Southern Plains Severe and Flooding May 2015 (PHOTOS)

This Date in Weather History for May 31,2015 from weatherforyou.com

Weather History
For Sunday,May 31,2015
 
 
 
1889 - The Johnstown disaster occurred, the worst flood tragedy in U.S. history. Heavy rains collapsed the South Fork Dam sending a thirty foot wall of water rushing down the already flooded Conemaugh Valley. The wall of water, traveling as fast as twenty-two feet per second, swept away all structures, objects and people. 2100 persons perished in the flood. (David Ludlum)
1941 - Thunderstorms deluged Burlington KS with 12.59 inches of rain to establish a 24 hour rainfall record for the state. (The Weather Channel)
1985 - Severe thuunderstorms spawned forty-one tornadoes across the Lower Great Lakes Region and southeastern Ontario which killed 74 persons. (Storm Data)
1987 - Thunderstorms in New England produced wind gusts up to 90 mph at Worcester, MA, and Northboro, MA, and hail an inch and a half in diameter at Williston, VT. Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the northeastern U.S. The afternoon high of 94 degrees at Portland, ME, was a record for the month of May. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
1988 - Hot and humid weather prevailed in the eastern U.S. Thirteen cities reported record high temperatures for the date. Cape Hatteras, NC, reported their first ninety degree day in May in 115 years of records. "Dust buster" thunderstorms in northwest Texas drenched Amarillo with more than three inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary)
1989 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather and torrential rains in northern Indiana, northern Ohio and southern Lower Michigan. Saint John IND was drenched with four inches of rain in two hours, and Woodland MI was deluged with two inches in twenty minutes. Pittsburgh PA reported a record 6.55 inches of rain for the month of May, with measurable rain reported on twenty-five days during the month. (The National Weather Summary)
1990 - Afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing along a warm front produced severe weather from northwest Texas to southeastern Louisiana. The thunderstorms spawned sixteen tornadoes, including thirteen in northwest Texas. One tornado hit the town of Spearman, TX, causing more than a million dollars damage, and seven other tornadoes were reported within twenty-five miles of Spearman. Thunderstorms over northwest Texas also produced baseball size hail at Monahans, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Paducah. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

Flood Threat, April-like Chill to Start June in New England

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist
May 31,2015; 11:58PM,EDT
 
 
June marks the start of Meteorological Summer, but the summer warmth experienced in New England at the end of May will not continue into the opening days of the new month.
Instead, much of the New England states can expect cool, cloudy and wet weather during the first part of the new week.
People across the region will want to keep their umbrellas close by on Monday and Tuesday as rain dampens cities such as Boston, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island, New Haven, Connecticut, and Portland, Maine.

"Worse than threatening to ruin outdoor plans, there is concern for the rain to pour down heavily at times, leading to flash flooding," stated AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
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The clouds and rain will help keep temperatures in the 50s across much of New England for the first few days of June, the equivalent of 10 to 15 degrees below normal.
"The chill will have many people thinking that the calendar was actually flipped back to April," added Pydynowski.
Temperatures will not run nearly as low farther south with areas from New York City to Pittsburgh topping out around 70 F and Baltimore and Washington, D.C. reaching around 80 F.
However, this is still noticeably cooler than the last week of May when temperatures in the mid-Atlantic states reached the 80s and lower 90s on a daily basis.
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While some people may not like the cooler weather this late in the year, the rain accompanying it is needed across the region.
Much of May has been abnormally dry across the Northeast with the region only receiving a fraction of the rain that it typically receives during the month.
New York City, for example, received only 0.40 of an inch of rain from May 1 to May 30. This accounts for only 10 percent of what The Big Apple typically receives in all of May.
Even though the early week rain is not likely to balance out the rain deficit across the Northeast, this rain will help to water lawns, gardens and other vegetation this is thirsty for some rain.

The cooler, wet weather pattern is not expected to stick around the region for long.
By Wednesday, the flow will become southerly and another warming trend will be underway for the Northeast, said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.
This will result in a stretch of dry days with temperatures running closer to normal than earlier in the week.
Temperatures are not forecast to be as high later in the week as they were during the last week of May. Additionally, the humidity will not be as high either, resulting in lower AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures.
Anyone with outdoor plans on Monday or Tuesday may want to consider moving them to later in the week if possible to account for the flip in the weather pattern.