ARLINGTON, Va. − A sprawling storm thathammered the Southeast with up to a foot of rainwas setting its sights on Mid-Atlantic states Tuesday, threatening multiple inches of rain and coastal flooding, forecasters said. Flood watches have been been issued across the Washington, D.C., area including suburban Virginia, western Maryland and parts of West Virginia. Totals rainfall amounts of up to 3 inches are expected, and there could be up to 5 inches along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Parts of central North Carolina, still recovering from the furious rains fueled by the the remnants of Hurricane Helene in September, could see 5 inches through Wednesday, the National Weather Service warned. The risk of flash flooding will stretch all the way into Pennsylvania. Although much of the region has been experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, rainfall rates could become "heavy enough to support a flash flood threat," wrote meteorologist Peter Mullinax in the National Weather Service's short-range forecast discussion. Mullinax added that there was a "dearth of flood watches" in parts of Virginia and North Carolina. Major storm:Gulf Coast to Virginia could be swamped with buckets of rain this week In North Carolina, the arts-and-tourism town of Asheville was devastated by remnants of Helene eight months ago. Homes and businesses were destroyed, bridges and highways were washed out and the water system was severely damaged. The area has slowly recovered, and the luxury Grand Bohemian Asheville Lodge, closed since Helene, reopened May 8 after a $20 million renovation. Now the National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the area, warning of heavy rainfall and potential flooding through Tuesday. Rainfall totals are expected to reach 2 inches in higher elevations east of Asheville, and some areas could potentially receive up to 3.5 inches. A heat wave continued to envelop the Midwest. Records tumbled in recent days: It reached a startling 100 degrees in Humboldt, Minnesota, and 99 degrees in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Near record or record highs were forecast in many areas for Tuesday, and high winds and dry conditions prompted red flag fire warnings in much of the region. In Kansas City, Missouri, the weather service said the warming trend continues, peaking midweek with highs approaching 90 degrees. Denver could see 86 degrees Tuesday. The storm had stalled over the Southeast over the weekend, overwhelming come cities with rain. In Georgia, almost 7 inches of rain fell in Savannah and over 3 inches Augusta. Over 4 inches of rain fell on Columbia, South Carolina. Some rural areas of South Carolina, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle were deluged with up to a foot of rain in recent days,AccuWeatherreported. Some rivers in the Southeast are forecast to reach flood levels later this week. A flood watch was in effect for northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and suburban Maryland, the weather service said. A coastal flood advisory has been issued across areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware with potential flooding and water surges in low-lying coastal areas. Coastal cities along the Atlantic such as Miami and Charleston, South Carolina, already prone to high-tide flooding, could face increased flood risk if heavy rain adds pressure to already taxed drainage systems, AccuWeather said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Storm that soaked Southeast threatens coastal flooding in Mid-Atlantic
