Heavy rain and flash-flood risk surge across the U.S. East Coast this weekend

Starting Friday, tropical moisture drawn from the Pacific, Caribbean and Gulf of America will converge over the Eastern United States, generating multiple rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms. An upper-level trough will drive the moisture northward, where it will meet a high-pressure ridge, intensifying rainfall and raising flash-flood concerns for up to a week. The forecast predicts widespread 2-3-inch totals across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, with 3-5-inch amounts most likely in southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

A level-2 flash-flood risk has been issued for Saturday and Sunday in those Gulf states, and cities such as New Orleans and Atlanta could see three to five inches of rain. The Northeast will remain drier after a recent nor’easter, though a Coastal Flood Advisory is in place for Annapolis, Maryland, as storms develop. Moisture is expected to linger into early next week as a large plume continues to spill northward.