Nor'easter cause flash floods on US east coast

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - A nor'easter hit the east coast of the US, causing high water levels and strong winds in the northeast region on Tuesday.

The extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic created flash floods in the states of New Jersey and New York, which issued states of emergency.

The US National Weather Service issued a flood warning for New Jersey's Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.

"At 2.33 p.m. EDT, flooding continues on several local roads, creeks, and streams in the warned area. Between 2 and 4 inches (51 and 101 millimeters) of rain have fallen. Although the heavy rain has ended, additional showers are possible through the rest of today and this evening," it said.

It warned residents to turn around when encountering flooded roads, adding most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the state of emergency remains in effect as the storm continues to bring heavy rains and sustained winds.

He said 10 counties are under a flash flood warning, while 11 are under a flash flood watch.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said agencies will continue to monitor the nor'easter through Wednesday.

"As heavy rain and winds continue to move across New York, my team and I are continuing to monitor the storm throughout the day," she wrote on Twitter.