Henri to leave Northeast Monday night, flood watches remain in effect

Henri is currently a category 1 hurricane with 75 mph max sustained winds as outer bands start to reach the southern New England coast and Long Island.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and tropical storm warnings stretch from New Jersey to Massachusetts.

Flash flood warnings have been ongoing as heavy rain has moved through, with around 4.5 inches of rain falling in Central Park — at a rate of almost 2 inches per hour -- and 6 inches falling in Brooklyn. This is just the beginning of the rain the Northeast will see as Henri moves through.

Flood watches are posted from Delaware to Vermont, and rain totals may reach or exceed 10 inches.

The path is sticking east, and it appears that the center of Henri could stay just off the eastern edge of Long Island, before making landfall early afternoon in Rhode Island at or near hurricane strength.

Once landfall occurs, rapid weakening is expected.

The storm conditions will likely cause numerous power outages, and an isolated tornado is also possible.

Flash flood warnings are already in effect across New York City, Staten Island and northern New Jersey due to moisture funneling into the region from an upper level system to the west of Henri.

Flooding from Henri, which continues to hold onto hurricane status with 75 mph max sustained winds, will be a widespread threat across the Northeast on Sunday.

Henri is moving north at 21 mph and is 135 miles south-southeast of Montauk Point, New York, and 175 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island. Slight strengthening is possible, and Henri is expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the coasts of southern New England and Long Island.

The track of Hurricane Henri appears to be shifting slightly more east on Saturday night.

Landfall now appears possible on far eastern Long Island or southern New England, anywhere from eastern Connecticut to Rhode Island to southeastern Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the day, it appeared as though the storm might hit central Long Island.

The storm was moving quickly -- 21 mph -- and still maintaining hurricane strength.

Henri is expected to either be a weak hurricane or strong tropical storm on Sunday morning or early afternoon as it moves over or just east of Long Island and eventually into southern New England through the day on Sunday.

Rail service in parts of New York and Connecticut will be halted Sunday due to Henri.

The Long Island Rail Road will be suspending service east of Patchogue on the Montauk Branch and on the Greenport line. 

Metro-North, which serves New York and Connecticut, will be suspending service on the Wassaic Branch of the Harlem Line and on the entire New Haven Line, including the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury branches. 

In Connecticut, service on the rail lines Shore Line East and Hartford Line is suspended starting Sunday "until further notice."

Amtrak also announced it would be canceling all Northeast Corridor service, including Northeast Regional and Acela, between New York and Boston on Sunday.

Flight cancellations are also expected in the region.

"Port Authority expects flights to be canceled," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a briefing Saturday. "Obviously I would check with your airline before you go to the airport tomorrow into Monday, maybe Tuesday."