Isaias rips through Northeast

Tropical Storm Isaias dumps torrential rains on Woodstock, Vermont, on Tuesday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Tropical Storm Isaias is ripping through the Northeast this afternoon with heavy rain and high winds, bringing with it the threat of tornadoes and flash floods in the region.

A tornado watch is in effect for most of the Northeast, including southern Vermont, until 9 p.m. Green Mountain Power crews stand at the ready to address resulting outages.

Outages were stacking up mid-afternoon in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as high winds battered the region.

The high winds are likely to be the greatest cause of damage, experts say, and that was apparent from the impact in New York City, where frequent gusts hit 60-70 mph. Gusts closer to 50 mph are expected in Vermont and New Hampshire, though the Tornado Watch notice says isolated gusts of up to 80 mph are possible in the Northeast.

Check out the National Weather Service for updates on Vermont and the wider region.

— Gareth Henderson