Forecasters say one of the key factors driving the weather is an atmospheric river, which is a long band of water vapor that can transport moisture from the tropics to more northern areas.

Flood watches were in effect in Vermont, where the capital city of Montpelier, hard hit in past floods, advised residents to elevate items in basements and low areas that are prone to flooding. And in Rhode Island, heavy surf and flooding closed several roads in Newport.

Parts of the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada are preparing for the impact of an atmospheric river, a weather phenomenon that is more commonly associated with the West Coast.