Tuesday's flooded streets and stranded cars in western North
Carolina might be a preview of what's coming for other parts of the East this
week.
Portions of 11
states were under flood watches that extend as late as Thursday, with generally
2 to 6 inches of rain predicted from the central Appalachians to New England.
Heavy rain
already was pooling in parts of North Carolina and Virginia.
In High Point,
North Carolina, a city of about 100,000 people, streets and a parking deck were
flooded, with water rising up to the top of the vehicles' tires.
A man was rescued from his car after water stranded him at a
High Point intersection, CNN affiliate
WHGP reported.
A flash- flood
warning also was in effect for the Martinsville, Virginia, area. In Woolwine,
high water washed away a 94-year-old covered bridge, CNN affiliate
WDBJ reported.
Widespread heavy
rains were expected to develop along a cold front that was pushing toward the
upper Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and the northern Mid-Atlantic areas.
The rain are expected to shift north and east Tuesday night into Wednesday, CNN
meteorologists said.
Flood watches were in effect in North Carolina, Virginia, West
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The weather on
the North Carolina coast this weekend could be influenced by Tropical Storm
Joaquin, though forecasters at the National Hurricane Center have "very
low" confidence in predicting the storm's future path.
As of Tuesday
afternoon, Joaquin was pushing west toward the Bahamas, but it is possible it
could turn sharply well before it gets to the islands. Then, as Joaquin travels
north through the Atlantic, it could strengthen and become a hurricane, the
center said in a discussion posted on its website.
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