Storm system could cause heavy rain, damaging winds from N.J. to Florida this weekend
More than 60 million people along the East Coast will face the risk of flooding this weekend due to a major rain and wind storm.
The storm system has not formed yet, but is expected to develop in the Gulf of Mexico, according to CBS News partner The Weather Channel. The storm will be formed by "multiple disturbances" that create a low-pressure system in the gulf that is expected to move north. The National Weather Service said that storm system will join forces with a smaller disturbance that developed along the West Coast on Friday.
Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said on "CBS Mornings" that strong winds, rip currents and large waves are already present in the area.
By Saturday, the storm will be affecting Florida, Abrams said, with damaging winds, flooding and even tornadoes possible until Sunday. After that, the storm will begin to move north.
"The strongest winds will spread from Florida into the southeast Saturday into Sunday by Monday. The Northeast will be gusting higher than 50 miles an hour," Abrams said.
By Sunday night, the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic region will be "getting walloped," Abrams said. Heavy rain, gusty winds and flooding is possible in these areas, according to The Weather Channel.
By Monday, the storm will be in the Northeast, causing rain and strong winds. In some regions, like the Great Lakes, the Appalachias and areas at higher elevations, that rain might turn into snow, according to The Weather Channel.
Abrams said that meteorologists expect to see "three to five inches of rain." Maps shared by the National Weather Service showed similar expectations, with the forecast ranging between 1.75 inches and 4 inches of rain as the storm moves north.
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Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
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