Airport delays, rising rivers and about-to-be-broken rainfall records A vehicle makes its way through high water as a low-lying area in Elmsford, N.Y. floods Tuesday. Craig Ruttle / AP

BOSTON – The second major rain storm of the month pounded the Northeast on Tuesday with what meteorologists said could be record-setting rainfall, sending rivers toward flood stage, closing roads, delaying flights and causing a run on basement sump pumps. About 1,000 National Guard troops were ready for action in Massachusetts, where emergency management officials were monitoring rivers that were expected to reach flood stage, putting additional strain on residents already weary of dealing with flooded yards and basements. The storm hit as the region continues to recover from a storm two weeks ago that dropped as much as much as 10 inches of rain. The National Weather Service says more than 11 inches of rain had fallen on Boston as of Monday, and the Tuesday’s rain could break the monthly rainfall record set in 1953. Standing water was pooling on roadways across the region, making driving treacherous and forcing road closures, police said. Weather-related delays of up to three hours were reported at Newark Liberty International Airport, and two hours at New York’s La Guardia Airport, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In New York City, a mud slide caused some interruptions on a commuter rail line in the Bronx. … President Barack Obama issued disaster declarations for many areas of New England to free up federal aid to residents and households for damages caused by late winter and early spring storms. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. …

 ‘Nightmare’ rains drench East Coast