NYC flooding – live: Damage assessed after state of emergency declared
Latest developments as New York City recovers from flash floods after historic rainfall sparked state of emergency
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Your support makes all the difference.New York has “officially transitioned into the recovery phase” after Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency following historic rainfall and flash flooding, officials said over the weekend.
The governor’s declaration came as torrential rain pummelled the northeastern US, her pleas for residents to stay home echoed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who’d also asked New Yorkers to shelter in place.
Most people heeded the call, the governor said Saturday – though at least 28 rescues were conducted by New York emergency services, she said.
Brooklyn was particularly hard hit by rising water with shocking videos showing streets and subways underwater, and one hospital forced to evacuate more than 150 patients after electrical damage forced its temporary closure. Widespread outages and delays were reported on the MTA, the agency that runs the city’s transit system, before it returned to full weekend service on Saturday.
Historic rainfall levels were recorded at locations from LaGuardia Airport to Central Park, where a sea lion named Sally gained viral video fame “after briefly exploring the flooded plaza inside the zoo,” officials said.
NYC’s flooding is linked to climate change
Three to six inches of rain have fallen with several more on the way in the next 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Some forecasters warned the flooding has the potential to be “historic”.
Forecasters said rainfall was coming down at a rate of one to 2.5 inches an hour in some places.
From 8am to 9am, the Brooklyn Navy Yard received 2.58 inches of rain, said Rohit Aggarwala, from New York’s Department of Environmental Protection, at a Friday press briefing. The city’s sewer system was built to handle 1.75 inches.
“This is the result of climate change. Our climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can respond,” Mr Aggarwala said.
Read the full story here
New York flooding chaos is result of climate crisis, city official warns
‘Our climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can respond,’ said Rohit Aggarwala, from New York’s Department of Environmental Protection
All rain, no storm surge
“What’s frightening about this flooding on the FDR is that ALL OF THIS WATER IS FROM RAIN. There was no storm surge today. Zero. In the coming storms, we’ll get massive rain plus a storm surge and the border between the river and the land will disappear,” NYU Professor Eric Klinenberg pointed out in response to a shocking video of a highway in NYC.
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Massive rainfall leaves more than a dozen people dead and transport paralysed in America’s biggest city
Just how much rain was NYC dealing with?
As much as 6.7 inches (17 cm) of rain had fallen in parts of Brooklyn by midday, with at least one spot seeing 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) in a single hour, according to weather and city officials.
The 6 inches (15 cm) of rain at John F. Kennedy Airport surpassed a record set during Hurricane Donna in September 1960, the National Weather Service said.
The torrential downpour caused travel mayhem, submerging subway stations, causing flight delays, and even putting cars and bikes mostly under water.
WATCH: Shelter in place and state of emergency issued in New York over flash flood warning
Subway system suspended
Half the New York subway system was suspended due to flooding and delays remained widespread on Friday afternoon. Commuter rail across the tri-state areas was suffering delays and cancellations due to impacts, The Independent’s Louise Boyle reports.
Janno Lieber, head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said 3,500 buses were operating for those who needed to get around. But even those were not immune: video posted online showed one bus in Brooklyn traveling through flooding with a submerged floor.
Sea lion breaks free from pool at Central Park Zoo
“Zoo staff monitored the sea lion as she explored the area before returning to the familiar surroundings of the pool and the company of the other two sea lions. The water levels have receded, and the animals are contained in their exhibit.”
Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo and Executive Vice President of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Zoos and Aquarium reported that no visitors or staff members were in danger and the sea lion never escaped the zoo.
“We had closed our four zoos and aquarium this morning so staff could focus on the animals and our facilities during the storm. Animal care staff will continue to monitor the situation through the duration of the weather event,” he added.
Read more
Sea lion breaks free at Central Park Zoo during terrifying New York City floods
No visitors or staff members were in danger and the animal never left the zoo grounds, a city official said
Transit, city services returning to normal after flooding
New York transit problems caused by Friday’s flooding had been almost entirely fixed by Saturday morning, with most lines back up and running the previous evening, an MTA spokesman told The Independent.
Subways had largely resumed normal function by about 9pm Friday, with further flooding problems to the N line servicing Brooklyn fixed by 5am Saturday, he said. MetroNorth lines had also resumed following diligent efforts of workers – “basically, just waiting for the water to recede, just having crews help do that process,” he said. “Buses, thankfully, did not get heavily impacted.”
The spokesman said Long Island Rail Road lines were the “same deal” after “two little hiccups” on routes closer to the water.
Meanwhile, NYC sanitation officials urged Bronx residents to bring hazardous items to a previously scheduled safe disposal event on Saturday in the Bronx, tweeting after the floods Friday that rubbish collection was ongoing and the department would “provide additional services as needed, including collecting storm debris and material that comes out of flooded homes.”
NWS: ‘Lingering rain’ expected before ‘tapering off from west to east:’
The National Weather Service on Saturday shared a graphic showing residual rain in the same region where Friday flooding plagued much of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
“There is lingering rain moving across much of the region as indicated here with our Doppler Radar imagery late this morning,” NWS New York NY posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. “The rain will be mostly light and is expected to last into this afternoon before tapering off from west to east.”
In a late-night Friday update, the account advised social media users that Flood Watch had been cancelled for “all locations except New Haven County Connecticut and Suffolk County New York.”
Before the end of Friday, new daily rainfall records had already been set at JFK Airport, Central Park, LaGuardia Airport and Bridgeport Airport, according to the NWS.
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