US: Severe storms disrupt NYC flights, trains; Hurricane Ernesto hurls rip currents at East Coast

Severe rain in southwestern Connecticut on Sunday led to mudslides, road washouts, and flash floods, while storms over New York City caused delays in flights and train services.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and emergencies in Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, and Hartford Counties, as overflowing rivers breached their banks, with more storms expected.

Emergency teams conducted numerous water rescues, particularly in Southbury, and several mudslides were noted, according to the Weather Service.

New York City storms cause major flight and train disruptions

New York City also faced heavy downpours on Sunday evening, grounding flights at major airports in the region. Officials cautioned about strong wind gusts, and flash flood warnings were put in place for Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and several counties north and west of the city. Social media videos showed water pouring from Chelsea Market's ceiling.

The storm system was unrelated to Hurricane Ernesto, which, though far from land, was posing a threat to the East Coast with dangerous swells and rip currents.

Hurricane Ernesto threatens East Coast with dangerous rip currents

Hurricane Ernesto, which regained Category 1 status with 80 mph winds on Sunday, was heading towards Atlantic Canada after causing power outages for hundreds of thousands in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Ernesto had hit Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane early Saturday with 85 mph sustained winds and gusts up to 105 mph, but by early Sunday, it had weakened to a tropical storm with 70 mph winds, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

By Sunday night, Ernesto was about 435 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the hurricane center reported in its 11:00 PMET update.

“Some additional intensification is forecast over the next 12 hours followed by weakening before Ernesto becomes a post-tropical cyclone on Tuesday,” the hurricane center said Sunday evening.

East Coast beaches face closures due to dangerous surf conditions

Despite being far from the US coast on Sunday, Ernesto continued to pose a threat with dangerous rip currents expected from Florida to Maine on Sunday and Monday. The large swells and rough surf forced many East Coast beaches to remain closed throughout the weekend.

“Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely in these areas during the next couple of days,” the hurricane center warned.

(With inputs from agencies)