Flood watch starting tomorrow

Flood Watch in effect from Monday evening through Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service in gray has issued a

* Flood Watch for portions of western Maine and New Hampshire including the following areas... in western Maine...

 Androscoggin... Central Somerset... coastal Cumberland... coastal

 Waldo... coastal York... interior Cumberland... interior Waldo...

 interior York... Kennebec... Knox... Lincoln... northern

 Franklin... northern Oxford... Sagadahoc... southern Franklin...

 southern Oxford and southern Somerset. In New Hampshire...

 Belknap... coastal Rockingham... interior Rockingham...

 Merrimack... northern Carroll... northern Grafton... southern

 Carroll... southern Coos... southern Grafton... Strafford and

 Sullivan.

* From Monday evening through Wednesday morning

* low pressure will develop off the mid Atlantic coast on Monday

and move northeastward into the Gulf of Maine Tuesday. At this

time it looks as though this low will produce anywhere between 1

to 2.5 inches of rain across much of the area... with locally

higher amounts possible. The heaviest rainfall should occur

Monday night into early Tuesday... but runoff and additional

snowmelt will keep the threat for flooding going through at

least Tuesday night. The heaviest rainfall is expected on the

coastal plain as well as the east slopes of the White Mountains

northeastward into the Maine foothills.

* Rivers are already gradually on the rise from snowmelt over the

past few weeks. 1 to 2.5 inches of rainfall will allow some

rivers to rise to bankfull and even overflow their banks.

Additional ice movement is likely as well. Urban and poor

drainage flooding is also expected... especially Monday night and

the morning hours on Tuesday.

 

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on

current forecasts.

You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible

flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be

prepared to take action should flooding develop.