New york: The U.S. states of New York and New Jersey declared a state of emergency on Thursday for areas facing flash flood warnings as heavy rain impacted the East Coast, threatening roadways and disrupting air travel.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the National Weather Service predicted heavy to excessive rainfall and potentially severe thunderstorms along the Washington-Philadelphia-New York City corridor later Thursday afternoon and night. Some southern areas of the region were expected to experience rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to remain vigilant, stay informed, and exercise caution due to the potential for flash flooding. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with other local officials, advised residents to avoid roads and recommended that those living in basement apartments relocate to higher ground.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that air travel was disrupted due to heavy storms on Thursday evening, with ground stops at several major airports in the New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. areas. Thousands of flights within, into, and out of the United States faced cancellations or delays, with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport experiencing average delays of around three hours.

Amtrak announced that trains between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware, were halted as severe storms caused high water to flood the tracks. The company announced on X that they were working to determine and provide a delay time, and anticipated residual delays once routes were available.

Tragically, the storms claimed one life, with a child dying after becoming trapped in water in Mount Airy, Maryland, as reported by the local fire chief.

Although flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings were lifted in New York City by Thursday night, authorities continued to advise against unnecessary travel. Flood watches and severe thunderstorm warnings in other areas remained in effect into Friday morning, with the possibility of 4 to 6 inches of rain in some East Coast areas, according to the National Weather Service.