A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, making storms capable of unleashing huge amounts of rain over land. Studies have shown that for every degree Fahrenheit that the planet heats up, the atmosphere can hold around 3% to 4% more moisture. As a result, flooding risks across the country are expected to increase in the coming years.

Flooding is possible across the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, especially in urban areas, with storms expected to bring heavy rain — up to 3 inches per hour.