This weekend delivered gorgeous weather to kick off the start of summer — sadly, that comes crashing down by Monday. Flash flooding and severe weather are looking increasingly likely for Monday evening. Strong thunderstorms could develop as early as Monday afternoon with heavy rainfall rates o f 1-2 inches an hour. New York City’s sewer system is built to withstand 1.75 inches per hour, so if rainfall rates do indeed push 2 inches, there will be flash flooding. Urban areas with poor drainage like parts of NYC are the most susceptible to flooding. The storms will also have the potential to produce damaging winds gusting to 60 mph. Expect some tree damage and power outages as a result. The rain will continue overnight and linger into the Tuesday morning commute. Any storms that materialize will likely be timed to Monday night’s World Cup match between Norway and Senegal. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. There are things you can do to prepare. If you see litter around sewers in your neighborhood, throw it in the trash so drains to get clogged. If you park on the street, look for spots on a hill so your car doesn’t flood. Once the rain starts, do not drive through standing water, there’s no telling how deep it is and it doesn’t take much to stall out of car and necessitate a water rescue. If you’re in a basement apartment and heavy rain starts, quickly get to higher ground. Charge your devices and make sure your flashlights have fresh batteries. To make sure you know when storms are near, download the NBC New York app, go to settings and turn on Severe Weather Alerts. That will let you know when flash flooding, severe winds or even a tornado threat are issued for your community. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less