New York is experiencing a chaotic situation due to torrential rains that flooded the Subway, roads, and hundreds of basements this Friday morning. Governor Kathy Hochul had to declare a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley on Friday morning.
“This is a very challenging climate event. This is an event that endangers the lives of thousands of people.”
“I need all New Yorkers to follow that warning so I can keep them safe.”
UNDER WATER: Brooklyn Queens Expressway pic.twitter.com/zXUDUoVXK5
— NYScanner (@nyscanner) September 29, 2023
What happened to the floods in New York?
In just three hours on Friday morning, more than what is normally recorded in a month of rain fell, topping 4 inches in parts of Brooklyn, as heavy precipitation rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour hit the New York metropolitan area. The heaviest rain began to subside in the hardest-hit areas of Manhattan and Brooklyn late Friday morning, but another round of precipitation is expected in the afternoon that could lead to flooding again.
“This is a dangerous weather condition and it is not over,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference Friday morning. “I don’t want the lapses in heavy rain to give the impression that it’s over, it’s not over.”
The National Weather Service warned of a threat of significant damage from flash flooding throughout New York City. “Water on the tracks” was the message to suspend Metro service on several lines in Brooklyn and Metro-North trains. Additionally, the weather forced the closure of a terminal at LaGuardia International Airport due to accumulating flight delays. 8.5 million people were under flash flood warnings in the New York City area. Floodwaters spilling into subways and railroad tracks caused “major disruptions” to subway service, including on nine train lines in Brooklyn and all three Metro-North train lines.
Flooding at New York’s LaGuardia Airport prevented ground crews from accessing parts of the airport’s ramps. As of Friday morning, flight cancellations were minimal, but delays were increasing rapidly as authorities closed the airport’s smallest terminal, Terminal A.
In Manhattan, almost 2 inches of rain fell in one hour in Central Park, making it the second rainiest hour in 80 years in that place. So far, more than 5 inches of rain has fallen there.
Millions of New Yorkers received alerts from the weather service Friday morning, warning of a “dangerous and life-threatening situation” with a “substantial risk” of damage from flash flooding.
At John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, about 1.19 inches of rain fell in one hour early Friday, and as of 10 a.m., the major travel hub had recorded more than 4 inches of precipitation since midnight, according to the meteorological service.
The threat of flooding will affect approximately 25 million people in the Northeast on Friday, and the New York metropolitan area faces a “moderate” risk of flash flooding, level 3 of 4, the National Weather Service warned.
This story was written by Miguel Fernandez in Cultura Colectiva News
