East Coast Storm Bringing Heavy Rains and Powerful Winds

Here’s what to know about this storm:

• Up to six inches of rain are expected in parts of the Northeast before the storm moves into Canada this evening.

• Storm conditions are beginning to peak in the New York City area: A heavier band of rain is setting up across southern New Jersey and is expected to move over New York and west over the next couple of hours.

• Wind gusts over 60 miles per hour were reported on the New Jersey coast early Monday.

Flooding is a concern for much of the Northeast.

Heavy rain and howling winds associated with a major coastal storm were pounding portions of the Northeast early Monday as officials in Philadelphia, New York and Boston asked residents to brace for flooding and power outages.

As of about 6:30 a.m. Eastern time, more than 46,000 customers in New Jersey were without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which compiles data from utilities. A little more than 33,000 customers in New York were also affected, as were nearly 43,000 in Connecticut and more than 11,000 in Rhode Island.

The sweeping storm pummeled South Carolina and North Carolina over the weekend and was expected to continue moving northward Monday. It could dump up to six inches of rain across parts of the Northeast before moving into Canada by the evening hours, according to the National Weather Service. There was also a slight risk of excessive rainfall for parts of the northern Mid-Atlantic region northward to New England through Tuesday morning, the Weather Service said.

Storm conditions were expected to be at their worst during peak commuting time in the region early Monday, threatening to make travel difficult. Areas to the west of the city have already received two to four inches of rainfall, even over four inches in northeast New Jersey. The new influx of precipitation in addition to rain amounts from earlier Monday will raise concerns over flash flooding.

The New York State Department of Transportation urged drivers to avoid crossing flooded roadways and to find alternative routes. Similar messages were issued by transportation officials in Massachusetts and in New Jersey. An official in Nassau County urged residents to stay off the roads altogether.

Downpours were also expected east of Interstate 95 in Washington and Baltimore through the morning hours, forecasters said, with flood watches issued for those areas. The Allegheny Mountains could get as much as 10 inches of snow, forecasters said.

Flooding was also a concern farther north. The Weather Service in New York issued a coastal flood warning through 6 p.m. Monday for southern Westchester County and several communities in southern Connecticut, including New Haven.

Along the New York coast, flooding with up to two and a half feet of inundation and sustained winds of 25 to 40 miles per hour — with gusts of 55 to 60 m.p.h. — could damage power lines and topple trees, the Weather Service said.

New York City officials implored those living in basements to move to higher ground and advised all residents to download the city’s emergency alert app.

They also cautioned residents to brace for powerful winds, with gusts up to 60 m.p.h. sweeping through Brooklyn and Queens early Monday through midmorning. Waves 12 to 16 feet high could pummel the coastline, the Weather Service said.

Up to two to four inches of rain was also expected to fall over the Philadelphia area through Monday morning, elevating concerns about potential urban and coastal flooding.

“River levels may continue to rise after the rain ends on Monday, with some rivers forecast to crest as late as Monday night through Tuesday,” the National Weather Service for Philadelphia and Mount Holly said in a Sunday evening briefing.

The service warned that strong winds there could also bring down tree limbs and cause power outages.

A storm warning was also issued for stretches of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coasts until Monday evening.

Rebecca Carballo, Johnny Diaz, Isabella Kwai and Orlando Mayorquin contributed reporting.