Communities from Delaware to Massachusetts were bracing for more rainfall on Wednesday.

There are flood watches or warnings in more than half of America's 50 states. But so far, New Jersey may be the hardest hit by recent rains.

Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., has declared a state of emergency as residents struggled to deal with a double hit of intense rain on top of rapidly melting snow. For some areas, it's the worst flooding in 60 years.

"I think the problem is the rain, the snowmelt, the dam up river," said Jim Rodgers, a Wayne, N.J. resident. "It never used to get this bad."

Rodgers could only get around by boat in his neighborhood -- where three inches of rain helped to transform the city's Riverside Drive into an actual river.

Floods have forced many people out of their homes. Others watched the water -- and the sky -- wondering what will happen in the hours ahead. The worst may still be ahead. A new round of rain is expected to begin later Wednesday.

In Connecticut, flash floods fueled a small stream with enough power to wash away the ground and collapse a road.

"I'm amazed," said Linda Roberts, a Naugatuck, Conn., resident. "There's a lot of work to be done."

Firefighters used boats to rescue stranded residents from waters that rose high enough to submerge homes.

"We have about a foot and half of water inside the house," said Clay Winters, a Shelton, Conn., resident. "The entire living space is completely trashed. We have nowhere to live right now."

Another set of storms brought baseball-sized hail and reports of a tornado to parts of Texas. The twister touched down northeast of Dallas, but there were no reported injuries.