The National Weather Service says Henri is expected to make landfall today, prompting a tropical storm warning for all five boroughs of New York City, plus Westchester County and Nassau County.
Parts of New Jersey are also under a tropical storm warning, including Hudson, Eastern Bergen, Eastern Essex, Eastern Union, Middlesex and Monmouth.
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly says Henri is bringing increasing concerns of flooding in central and southern New Jersey.
Torrential rainfall began hammering New York City on Saturday night with 2.15 inches of rain falling in Central Park and even higher amounts in Brooklyn and Queens.
Henri's rains soaked many areas of New Jersey, including flooding rains in Hoboken and other areas. Hoboken residents reportedly urged local leaders to close streets to traffic as cars pushed water into homes.
Streets like Madison and Harrison looked like rivers overnight.
It was a similar scene in Newark. Rescuers had their hands full saving stranded drivers who drove into high water – which drivers are advised not to do. The crews used rafts to reach people and pull them out of their cars.
Governor Phil Murphy said on Twitter he’s been communicating directly with senior leadership of PSEG and JCP&L to make sure the utilities are prepared for potential outages.
The weather service also says the tropical force winds in Middlesex and Monmouth counties could knock down trees and cut power.
The threat of flooding and heavy rain is expected to expand to the rest of New Jersey on Sunday, tapering off on Sunday night, the weather service said. Expect winds of 30-40 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph, likely starting Sunday morning and into the afternoon.
Outgoing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a State of Emergency in New York and deploying 500 National Guard members as Henri approached Long Island.
The declaration is targeted for New York City, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley and the capital region. Cuomo warned of a Hurricane Sandy-level impact on parts of the state.
