Canadian wildfire smoke brings poor air quality to Midwest as flood threat looms in Carolinas

ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada is blanketing the skies in the Midwest, leaving millions with dangerous breathing conditions.

Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit were ranked in the top 10 major cities in the world with the worst air quality on Friday morning.

Air quality alerts are in place in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, as well as parts of Nebraska and Missouri.

Meanwhile, the Northeast is cleaning up after heavy rain inundated the Interstate 95 corridor from New York City to New Jersey to Maryland on Thursday evening.

One to 4 inches of rain fell in the region, with 6 inches of rain in isolated areas, leading to numerous flash flood warnings.

During the height of the storm, the rain closed sections of major New York City roads and suspended some services on the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit.

On Friday, the risk for flooding shifts south to the Carolinas and Texas.

In the Carolinas, heavy showers and thunderstorms will hit on Friday afternoon and continue overnight. Rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour are possible.

In Texas, the Dallas-Fort Worth area is under risk for excessive rainfall on Friday afternoon and evening. Heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected and flash flooding is possible in the urban corridors.

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