Above: A screenshot of a National Weather Service image showing the projected 5-day track of Tropical Storm Andrea as it moves up the East Coast, as of Thursday afternoon. For a current image, check the NWS's Tropical Storm Andrea page.
Heavy rains and possible flooding are in store for the Catskills region this weekend, starting Friday morning, as the area braces for two storm systems moving into the region.
First on the forecast is a rainstorm moving through the region from the west, beginning Thursday night and continuing into Friday. By Friday afternoon, a tropical storm dubbed "Andrea" will move in from the south, dumping more rain onto an already-saturated landscape. Andrea is not expected to strengthen into a hurricane, but is forecast to bring heavy rains and high winds to a wide swath of the eastern U.S.
Flood watches have been declared across eastern New York for Friday morning and beyond, including most of the Catskills region. A flood watch for Delaware and Sullivan counties predicts 1 to 3 inches of rain between Friday morning and Saturday morning, possibly with greater amounts in some areas. A flood watch for eastern New York, including Ulster and Greene counties, predicts one and a half to three inches of rainfall Friday and Saturday, with four inches in some areas, and notes that the Esopus, Rondout and Schoharie river basins will be monitored for minor flooding.
A few web resources to keep an eye on for fast-breaking information as the storms move through the Catskills region:
Hudson Valley Weather's Facebook page
Schoharie County Emergency Services Facebook page
Ulster County Emergency Services blog
National Weather Service in Binghamton's Facebook page
Local USGS real-time hydrographs showing current and predicted stream levels in the region
We'll keep track of fast-breaking weather news on our Facebook page and Twitter account as well. If you have local flooding, road closures, photos or other weather news to report, send it to us via social media or email us at editor@watershedpost.com.
