A giant “1-in-300-year” storm system across the Northeast United States has caused massive flooding across 40,000 square miles, unprecedented amounts of rain and left at least 16 dead. More than 200,000 Americans were ordered to evacuate Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, due to major flooding of the Susquehanna River.

This followed the most rain ever recorded in Washington, D.C. Major flooding caused power outages, the delay of subway systems and the closing of federal buildings. Art galleries and museums were also shut down while heavy rain and wind collapsed a 100-year-old elm tree near the White House.

Some areas across three states received as much as 17 inches of rain in several days. The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport recorded nearly 13 inches of rain for the month of June. This broke the monthly record since record-keeping began in 1871. Most of this rain came late in the month, with just under 10 inches recorded in two days, the most rain for any two successive days.

Source: The New York Times; Reuters; ABC News