HV Faces 3rd Day Of Severe Thunderstorms Plus Tropical Storm Elsa

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Severe storms will pummel the region for a third straight day, according to forecasts.

A flood advisory was issued Thursday for Dutchess and Ulster as morning thunderstorms hit. "Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms, the National Weather Service said at 9:57 a.m. "Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area." It's in effect until 1 p.m.

Also, flash flood watches have been issued for Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties to be in effect from 8 p.m. through Friday afternoon.

Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

Heavy rainfall ahead of both a frontal boundary and tropical system Elsa will move through with periods of heavy rainfall into early Friday afternoon. Total rainfall Thursday afternoon through Friday is expected to range from 1.5 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.

Heavy rain may cause some smaller rivers and streams to quickly rise out of their banks. There is also the potential for flash flooding in areas of poor drainage, the NWS said.

The National Weather Service predicts damaging winds 58 mph or greater will be the other threat from the storms.

"This is the third day with storms on top of the extra work a heat wave brings," said O&R spokesman Mike Donovan. "Everybody has been very busy, but the workforce is responding positively to that. It also helps that we obtained over 100 more overhead line techs to help get the extra work done as safely and as efficiently as possible."

Next comes Elsa. The tropical storm will move toward the area Thursday maintaining strength. The storm will pass near or over the Mid Atlantic coast late Thursday night, and near or over Long Island and southeast Connecticut on Friday morning.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for Long Island and New London and southern Middlesex County in Connecticut.

Locally, a widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches is forecast with the highest amounts expected from NYC to the north and west. Dangerous marine conditions should also develop on Long Island Sound. Tropical-storm-force winds will be most likely in those areas, near the south shores of Long Island and southeast Connecticut, and in some higher elevations away from the coastline.

Localized heavy rainfall is possible in the interior of the Hudson Valley into early Friday afternoon which may lead to ponding of water on roadways, urban and poor drainage flooding, and isolated flash flooding.

Here's a look at the next two days based on Poughkeepsie: