A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, making storms capable of unleashing huge amounts of rain over land. Studies have shown that for every degree Fahrenheit that the planet heats up, the atmosphere can hold around 3% to 4% more moisture. As a result, flooding risks across the country are expected to increase in the coming years.

A cold front is moving through Northeast Ohio over the next day and will bring widespread rain that could be heavy plus strong storms

Flooding is possible across the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, especially in urban areas, with storms expected to bring heavy rain — up to 3 inches per hour.

New York City and New Jersey are under states of emergencies as torrential rain pounds the Northeast on Thursday afternoon. A level 3 out of 4 threat for flash flooding is in effect in New York City,