Storms hit upstate, cause flight delays

ALBANY -- Waterlogged communities in upstate New York were hit with more rain from a line of storms that also disrupted air and some road travel around New York City yesterday.

Flash flood watches were posted in much of the upstate region, and there were flood warnings along the Hudson, Mohawk and Susquehanna rivers.

Thunderstorms in the New York City area caused local flight delays of up to three hours, with the longest at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, the Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday afternoon. Newark Liberty reported delays of up to 90 minutes. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the country because of the weather.

The National Weather Service said the severe weather also caused minor flooding on highways and streets across the state.

Forecasters said showers and thunderstorms were expected to continue into this morning, with total amounts of one to three inches in most places and up to five inches possible in some spots.

Yesterday afternoon, heavy rain and minor flooding were reported in the Southern Tier along the Pennsylvania border and in the lower Hudson Valley. The weather service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Madison, Oneida, Montgomery and Herkimer counties, where heavy rain was reported during late afternoon.

Those counties were hit by major flooding last week and were included in a request yesterday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for a federal disaster declaration covering 15 counties.