Philadelphia, PA – Heavy downpours and flash flooding could upend travel and threaten homes across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and northern Delaware starting Thursday afternoon and continuing into early Friday. Urban streets, low-lying neighborhoods, and major roadways from Philadelphia to Atlantic City are at heightened risk as storms deliver 2 to 4 inches of rain—potentially more in some areas—during the evening and overnight hours.
According to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, a Flood Watch will be in effect from 2 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday. The warning covers dozens of counties and cities, including Wilmington, Trenton, Allentown, Morristown, and the entire Philadelphia metro region. Showers and thunderstorms ahead of a cold front will move slowly, dumping intense bursts of rain that could overwhelm storm drains and send streams and creeks out of their banks.
Key routes such as I-95, the New Jersey Turnpike, and Route 1 may see hazardous driving, with water ponding and road closures possible after dark. Residents in flood-prone or poorly drained areas should move vehicles to higher ground, clear storm grates of debris, and avoid all non-essential travel during the watch period. Emergency managers urge everyone to charge mobile devices and have a flashlight ready in case of power outages.
This is the region’s first widespread flood watch of the summer, echoing scenes from previous years when summer storms caused rapid street flooding and commuter delays.
The flood watch is set to expire Friday morning, but forecasters warn additional alerts are possible if rain lingers or intensifies. Stay tuned for updates and be ready to act quickly if warnings are issued overnight.
