Storms are lashing the East Coast from Virginia to Connecticut, flooding roadways and delaying flights from Boston to Washington, D

After relentlessly pounding the metropolitan region of New York City for roughly four to seven hours, the rain will gradually come down in intensity later on Thursday night. Some lingering showers and effects of the flooding will likely carry into at least the early portions of Friday.

Heavy rain and flooding are impacting parts of the US East Coast, disrupting travel and leaving many residents stranded. Nearly 50 million people are under flood watches, with states of emergency declared in New Jersey and New York City.