What to Know
- Be ready for a rainy weekend in the Philadelphia region.
- A coastal storm brought heavy rain, flooding and strong winds to parts of New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania over the weekend.
- A First Alert continues into Sunday evening.
A coastal storm roared up the East Coast Saturday as the remnants of Ophelia -- which weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression -- impacted New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team issued a First Alert for heavy rain, coastal flooding and strong gusty winds from Saturday to Sunday.
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With the stormy weather across the region, here is how the area was impacted
News
Rainy weekend thanks to Ophelia
The storm -- which became Tropical Storm Ophelia Friday afternoon with 60 mph sustained winds -- moved in from the south and the first raindrops fell in the southern parts of our region late Friday night.
Ophelia moved toward the north-northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h). This general motion continued Saturday, followed by a slight turn toward the north.
The center of Ophelia approached the coast of North Carolina Friday night and then moved across eastern North Carolina, southeastern Virginia, and the Delmarva Peninsula Saturday where it will continue to move on Sunday, officials said.
When the storm got to the Philadelphia region, it was no longer a tropical storm but instead downgraded to a tropical depression.
The rain then spread throughout the Delaware Valley on Saturday. Folks from the New Jersey and Delaware beaches to the Pennsylvania suburbs and Lehigh Valley dealt with plenty of rain this weekend with parts of the Jersey Shore seeing significant flooding.
The heaviest bands of rain came through early Saturday.
Ophelia continued to soak the region overnight into Sunday, but it also weakened as it made its way north.
The storm was expected to hit areas north of the Philadelphia region -- near the Lehigh Valley -- hardest during the day Sunday, though rain was expected to continue throughout the day.
Flooding as storm moves through
Coastal flood warnings and advisories were in place all along the Delaware and Jersey Shore coasts, as well as along the Delaware Bay. Localized flooding was another concern due to the heavy rainfall.
The storms caused flooding in parts of the Jersey Shore on Saturday, including Sea Isle City.
The worst impacts of this storm were along the coast. Gusty winds up to 50 mph at the coast helped fuel coastal flooding.
"With the long duration of onshore winds expected, the back bays may struggle to drain during low tides," the National Weather Service said.
Storm damage
The storm caused damage across the region on Saturday. In Yeadon, Pennsylvania, downed power lines may have led to an explosion and fire that caused more than 100 people to evacuate, according to NBC10's newsgathering partner KYW Newsradio.
The storm canceled or curtailed some activity at festivals throughout the region over the weekend.
In New Jersey, Margate cancelled its Fall Funfest by the Bay because of the flooding and in North Wildwood, some events at the popular Irish Fall Festival were cancelled, like the parade that had been set for Sunday.
Power outages across the region
As of 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, there were 4935 power outages reported throughout the Philadelphia region due to the storm.
PECO is reporting 2482 outages:
Bucks: 43
Chester: 274
Delaware: 403
Montgomery: 207
PPL is reporting 82 outages:
Bucks: 6
Lehigh: 26
Northampton: 36
York: 14
Delmarva is reporting 635 outages:
New Castle: 633
Sussex: 2
AC Electric is reporting 421 outages:
Atlantic: 18
Burlington: less than 5
Camden: less than 5
Cape May: 22
Cumberland: 152
Gloucester: 166
Ocean: less than 5
Salem: 56
Airport cancellations
Due to the severe weather, some flights out of the Philadelphia International Airport were delayed on Saturday. It's important to check in with your airline to see if your flight has been affected.
This advisory was still in place early Sunday.
Clearing out
Rain is expected to continue through most of the day Sunday. The flood threat will lessen but still be a factor in parts of the area due to ponding on roadways and coastal flooding.
Stick with the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team on NBC10 News and in our app for the latest forecasts and models.
Temps on both days of the weekend won't get out of the 60s in most neighborhoods.
A stormy start to Fall
Fall arrived on Saturday and some leaves may have already fallen and could be blocking drains and gutters. Make sure to clear any debris away to lessen the chance of any flooding.
Also, for anyone along shore points, move your car away from flood-prone areas.
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