Mohawk Valley under flood watch

PHOTOGRAPHER: John Enger

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An already saturated Mohawk Valley is again under a flash flood watch until midnight tonight.

The National Weather Service in Albany placed a large area of eastern New York and western New England under the watch starting at 11 a.m. based on the possibility of thunderstorms and the area’s already tenuous condition.

“We’re especially concerned about the Mohawk Valley because it has already rained so much this past week,” said weather service meteorologist Tom Wasula. “A quick inch or two or rain could cause another flood.”

Fort Plain is among the communities under the flash flood watch. The village, among other places, is still recovering from a devastating flood that swept the area on Friday.

Wasula said Fort Plain area is at high risk for flooding because the ground is still covered with debris, which could dam up Mohawk River tributaries, worsening any possible flash floods.

Showers could help prevent thunderstorms and the deluges that come with them, Wasula said, explaining that a mass of rain clouds moving into the Capital Region could prevent flash flooding.

“They could prevent the build up of heat that’s necessary in the formation of thunderstorms,” he said. “So we might get some showers instead of a downpour.”