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Flood Warnings Through Early Friday For Orange, Rockland Counties

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Flood warnings are in effect through early Friday morning for Orange and Rockland counties.

WCBS 880's Paul Murnane In Rye

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Sandbags have been put in place in Suffern in Rockland County where the Mahwah River is rising again, inching closer to basements where sump pumps are still warm from last week's flood.

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It's not just a concern for homeowners. Many business owners are applying for federal aid to help them recover from the storms.

In Westchester, flooding of roadways and rivers was causing problems. Police in New Rochelle were out on the scene Thursday morning of some major trouble spots, including one at the corner of at Stratton and Kewanee roads where water was covering the roadway.

For the second time in a week, Rye residents are underwater. Back to back downpours have caused the Blind Brook to overrun its banks, spill water onto streets and rush into residential neighborhoods.

Long-time residents of the area are stunned at the frequency of the flooding.  Some in the neighborhood blame the flooding on an upstream dam that they say needs to be higher.

As the floods recede some are now looking for evidence of trees that have been undermined.

Arborist Ken Alstead said the ground is so even, seemingly healthy trees can fall. He warned property owners to take note of standing water, exposed root systems or shifting ground at the base of the trunk.

"If you have a raised area and the tree is uncharacteristically leaning or further away than other trees than it used to be, that's one indication that there could've been shifting," he told CBS 2's Lou Young.

1010 WINS' Al Jones reports: Residents Frustrated With Flooding

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In Yonkers, a giant tree crashed down on a Range Rover taking power lines with it. That knocked out electric service to several homes in the area.

Rye Flooding
Flooding - Rye, NY - Sep 8, 2011 (credit: Paul Murnane / WCBS 880)

The weather service says two to three inches of rain fell on New York City and its suburbs overnight, and more rain is expected again Friday night.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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