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

Henri, which was downgraded to a strong tropical storm Sunday morning, is edging closer to land.

The storm system is 40 miles south-southwest of Montauk, New York, and 75 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island.

Hurricane warnings are in effect from New Jersey to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. All trains from New York to Boston have been canceled.
Record rain has already fallen in New York and New Jersey, with 4.45 inches of rain in Central Park on Saturday, with 1.94 inches of rain falling between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. – the wettest hour on record for New Jersey City.

Rain totals have already topped 8.3 inches in parts of central New Jersey.

Flash flood watches have been issued from Delaware to Vermont.

-ABC News’ Samantha Wnek

Henri weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm when it dropped from 75 mph max sustained winds to 70 mph.

However, tropical storm conditions are continuing to spread across parts of southern New England, the National Weather Service reported.

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.