On Monday, forecasters issued flood watches for parts of the northeast and the southeast of the United States, citing the potential for torrential downpours on Labor Day across already wet ground.
Northwest Georgia was one of the regions struck the hardest by this weekend's storms, where 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain poured in some places, according to forecasters.
Authorities in Georgia's Chattooga County reported that the flooding cut off water service to several areas, causing the school system to cancel classes for the following few days.
Owner of the Summerville-based Rainwater Funeral Home and coroner for Chattooga County, Earle Rainwater remarked, "Our main push right now is getting our water problem back in hand."
He stated on Monday, "You can't accomplish anything without water. "The only water we have is what's in the creeks and in bottles."
On Sunday, Chattooga and Floyd counties in Georgia received a state of emergency declaration from Governor Brian Kemp. All state resources were to be used for "preparation, response, and recovery efforts," according to that directive.
Several residents of Chattooga County needed to be rescued from their houses on Sunday, particularly in the lower-lying sections of the county, according to Rainwater. "They utilized kayaks, Jon Boats, and whatever else that would float."
As moisture from the Gulf of Mexico continues to flow over the South and into the Northeast, waves of showers and storms were predicted to form Monday in the area, according to the National Weather Service. According to the weather service, several training storms—storms that travel over the same places while dumping several inches of rain—were also likely.
According to the meteorological service, there was a danger of flash flooding in the northeast, Pennsylvania, some of southern New England, and the New York City region. A large band of storms was visible on radar moving northeast from Pennsylvania just inland across Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service said that life-threatening flash flooding occurred on Monday in the Rhode Island cities of Providence and Cranston. Although there had been no reports of injuries in the region, a number of roadways, including a piece of Interstate 95 and Route 10, one of the key thoroughfares into and out of Providence, were shut down by Monday afternoon.
By late afternoon, some regions had already received up to four inches (10 centimeters) of rain, and more flooding was conceivable. According to local news sources, the intense downpour caused at least one building to collapse and left drivers trapped on Interstate 95 for hours.
By early Monday evening, there had been up to six inches (15 cm) of rain in Connecticut, with north New London County receiving more than five inches in less than an hour. Additional flooding is anticipated until Tuesday night, according to local forecasters.
Through Monday night, flash flood warnings were in effect for portions of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Flash flood warnings are still in effect for Tuesday in sections of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
According to the Chattooga County Emergency Management Agency, church leaders and volunteers in Georgia planned to distribute water on Monday in the small communities of Summerville and Trion.
Harry Harvey, the mayor of Summerville, said, "We've never had anything like this before."
Things are not as bad as we feared they were, or as bad as they could be, Harvey remarked after seeing the neighborhood's inundated water treatment facility on Monday morning.
On Monday, workers evaluated the damage there. We "should have a much better estimate as to what has to be done" by late Monday or early Tuesday, Harvey said.
According to Superintendent Jared Hosmer, the Chattooga County School System will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of the floods.
Hosmer announced the choice on Monday, saying, "Without water, we are unable to flush restrooms, wash hands, drink from the fountains, or make lunches."
About 25,000 people live in Chattooga County, which is located about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.
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