New York declares state of emergency amid flash flood warning - The Independent

New York declares state of emergency amid flash flood warning - live updates | The Independent

NYC flooding – live: Mayor urges ‘extreme caution’ with all five boroughs under state of emergency

Latest developments as New York City is hit by flash floods and state of emergency is declared

Oliver O'Connell,
Kelly Rissman Comments

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a State of Emergency as flash flooding wreaks havoc across New York City caused by torrential rain pummelling the northeastern US. Mayor Eric Adams likewise asked New Yorkers to stay home or shelter in place.

Brooklyn is particularly hard hit by rising water with shocking videos showing streets and subways underwater. Widespread outages and delays were reported on the MTA, the agency that runs the city’s transit system.

A severe storm lodged over the city, and parts of upstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, leading to widespread flood watches and warnings.

The New York area could see an unprecedented amount of rain with between two and five inches having already fallen in some areas since midnight.

Emergency alerts were sent to cellphones in the city at 9.30am local time from the National Weather Service.

“A FLASH FLOOD WARNING is in effect for this area until 12:30pm EDT,” it read. “This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.”

A travel advisory was issued by city authorities beginning at 4am on Friday through until 6am on Saturday with the potential for “widespread travel impacts”.
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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.
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WATCH: Shelter in place and state of emergency issued in New York over flash flood warning
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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.
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Flashback: Hurricane Ida floods New York in 2021

In pictures: Chaos after New York and New Jersey storms

Massive rainfall leaves more than a dozen people dead and transport paralysed in America’s biggest city
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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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A message from the governor
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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
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The dangers of the downpour extends to Long Island
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29 September is poised to be the wettest day on record at JFK

Three to six inches of rain had fallen by Friday morning 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”.

“Today is now preliminarily the wettest September day on record at JFK Airport, eclipsing the record from Hurricane Donna in 1960,” NWS tweeted, noting that 6.08inches of rain had fallen since midnight. The previous record was 5.83 inches.

Read more

New York City declares state of emergency

‘Our climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can respond,’ says Rohit Aggarwala from New York’s Department of Environmental Protection
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Photos of the floods

The Independent captured shocking photos of the floods that are keeping locals indoors and submerging vehicles.

Bike submerged in the rainwater in NYC

NYC flooding

deep flooding plagues Brooklyn