ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The sun made an appearance Wednesday along parts of the East Coast that have seen several days of gloomy weather, but it’s going to be short-lived as a high pressure system over Quebec works in conjunction with the remnants of what was once Tropical Storm Ophelia return to bring more heavy rain and coastal flooding to the region.
The renewed rain is only adding to the nearly five days of wet weather in places like New York City, Providence, Rhode Island and Atlantic City, New Jersey.
But rain isn’t the only concern as the weather again takes a turn for the worse. Strong onshore winds will trigger more coastal flooding, coming on the heels of days of heavy surf pounding the shores from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast since Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall in North Carolina last Saturday.
Before the rain returns, Wednesday’s sunshine along the East Coast and in parts of the Northeast presents a chance to quickly wring out before the next storm arrives.
“It’s going to be a gorgeous fall day,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said about Wednesday. “The sun is out. Take advantage of it. Go out there. Unfortunately, the rain is going to return. It’s back for the end of the workweek into the first half of the weekend.”
After it has been meandering off the East Coast for days, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia will head back to the north and once again bring rain to coastal areas from southern New England to Virginia on Friday.
The rain could be heavy at times, which could lead to minor flash flooding as the ground has been so saturated recently that it simply cannot support much more rain.
Generally, the FOX Forecast Center expects less than an inch of rain for most areas, but much of it could come in a short period of time.
Wind will also be an issue along the coast, with winds gusting to around 30 mph in many areas. Those winds, along with the rough surf and high tide, could lead to more coastal flooding in areas that have already experienced it.
Coastal flooding is expected from the Carolinas to the Jersey Shore in the days ahead, and some locations could even reach major flood stage, resulting in water inundating streets and neighborhoods closer to the shoreline.
One of those places is Charleston, South Carolina, which already saw flooding as Ophelia neared the coast last week.
The flooding is only expected to be enhanced by the upcoming full moon – the final supermoon of 2023. The other two supermoons occurred in July and twice in August. The full moon leads to higher tides than normal because it’s at its closest point to Earth.
The Supermoon only makes the tides run even higher.
Flood alerts are in effect up and down the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. Coastal Flood Advisories are in effect in southern New Jersey, including Atlantic City, and the state of Delaware.
Coastal Flood Warnings remain in effect in the Chesapeake Bay, including areas along the coast in Virginia and Maryland.
But some good news: The sun may begin to make a reappearance on Saturday after the storms begin to clear, and a gorgeous day is expected in most areas at the end of the weekend on Sunday.