Rain brings accidents, flood watches

The continuing rainy weather has prompted flood watches and likely contributed to more than 15 accidents around the region this morning.

Vehicles were reported overturned about 8:30 a.m. in the city and South Jersey: on the Henry Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia, at Route 73 and Haddonfield Road in Pennsauken, and at a Route 73 ramp to I-295 in Mount Laurel.

A N.J. Transit bus hit a house and downed a pole in Barnegat, Ocean County. Crews had trouble freeing two people because of downed wires.

The eastbound Schuylkill Expressway was jammed near South Street about 7 a.m. as emergency vehicles surrounded a car on the right shoulder, and accidents were also reported on Roosevelt Boulevard (Route 1)

Two to four inches of rain might fall across the Philadelphia region today and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. If thunderstorms develop, rainfall could be higher.

The weather also was being blamed for delays of about 20 minutes for flights at Philadelphia International Airport.

According to a flood watch in effect until Wednesday night, some rivers might flood, especially in North Jersey.

In most areas, "flooding would first occur in low-lying and poor drainage areas . . . followed by quick responding creeks and streams . . . then followed by larger rivers."

The Schuylkill and the Delaware River, though, should be able to handle the forecast amounts, forecasters say.

Coastal flooding is also a concern, from the Delaware's tributaries to inlets and bays at the Shore, especially around the high tides late this evening and early Wednesday morning, according to the weather service.

For more on the forecast, go to http://go.philly.com/weather.

For traffic updates, go to http://go.philly.com/traffic.