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

Flood watches are in effect from northeastern Pennsylvania to New Hampshire.

Henri continues to churn across the Northeast where heavy rain and flooding are still possible through Monday night.

Flood watches remain in effect from northeastern Pennsylvania to New Hampshire.

The storm made landfall as a tropical storm in Rhode Island early Sunday afternoon, bringing wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and a storm surge of up to 4 feet to the surrounding regions. Over 9 inches of rain was recorded in Brooklyn, New York. Henri weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday night and will leave the Northeast by Monday night.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Aug 22, 2021, 3:36 PM EDT

Tropical Storm Henri's conditions spread inland

Tropical Storm Henri's impact continues to be felt throughout the East Coast even though its strength has weakened.

The storm is now producing wind gusts up to 50 mph and is moving northwest through Rhode Island.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Tropical Storm Henri flooding rain alerts map.
ABC News

New flash flood warnings were issued in parts of New York City, Westchester, New York, and northeastern New Jersey counties.

Current rain totals range from 3.7 inches in New London, Connecticut, to 7.82 inches in Brooklyn.

--ABC News’ Hope Osemwenkhae

Aug 22, 2021, 2:35 PM EDT

Storm weakening, slowing after hitting land

Tropical Storm Henri has already begun to lose strength as it moves inland after making landfall in Rhode Island around 12:15 p.m. Sunday.

The system was 5 miles east of Westerly, Rhode Island, at 2 p.m., moving northwest at 9 mph with sustained winds of 50 mph.

Tropical storm force winds are still expected along the south shore of Long Island, New York, and across southeast Connecticut.

A man and dog walk cross a street before traffic as Tropical Storm Henri approaches in Montauk, Long Island, Aug. 22, 2021.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

The strongest winds will be along coastal areas of New England and Long Island through Sunday evening.

Gusts of 50 mph or higher are possible as the center of the storm tracks through the Northeast.

The primary threat Sunday will be flash flooding across most of the region.

Since the system is slowing down, the outerbands are continuing to bring heavy rain from New Jersey to Massachusetts.

Tracking Henri radar weather map.
ABC News

Nine states remain under a flash flood watch through Monday. Three states – New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, are under flash flood warnings.  

An additional 2 to 4 inches of rainfall will be possible the already soaked region, including New York City.  

-ABC News’ Hope Osemwenkhae

Aug 22, 2021, 2:09 PM EDT

Hundreds of nursing home residents evacuated in Connecticut

Four nursing homes in Connecticut have been evacuated as Tropical Storm Henri moved across the state.

Nearly 250 residents were moved to other facilities, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters Sunday afternoon.

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) satellite handout image shows Tropical Storm Henri off the northeast coast of the United States, Aug. 22, 2021.
NOAA/GOES/AFP via Getty Images

Lamont warned residents to remain vigilant as the storm passes.
Flooding is "the biggest risk we have right now," said Lamont. "Don't get complacent."

Power outages for more than 24,000 customers have been reported, Lamont said.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

Aug 22, 2021, 1:30 PM EDT

System expected to weaken to tropical depression

Now that Tropical Storm Henri has hit land, it is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression by Monday morning as it moves through southern Vermont.

Wind gusts of 70 mph were reported in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and 69 mph in Block Island, Rhode Island.

Tropical storm force winds with gusts up to 50 mph will continue over parts of eastern Long Island, New York and New England. Storm surge between 2 and 4 feet will be an ongoing issue for southern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York through Sunday.

 

A tree fallen on a house is seen as Tropical Storm Henri makes landfall in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, Aug. 22, 2021.
Brian Snyder/Reuters

The current track then has the system moving north-northwest, withering to a weak tropical storm in upstate New York before becoming a depression.

More than 40 million people across the Northeast will be under flash flood watches. Nearly 9 inches of rain from Sunday morning alone were reported in parts of New Jersey.

Additional rainfall amounts up to 3 inches are possible in parts of northern New Jersey, Connecticut, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern New York.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin and Hope Osemwenkhae