Torrential Rain Tore Through New York, The City Hit With Flash Flood
Torrential rain tore through New York City wreaking havoc. Airports and Subways are down and streets are flooded. Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York declared a state of emergency in the New York City, Hudson Valley and Long Island.
New York: The rain isn’t over yet. It is extremely dangerous to travel on flooded streets.
As rain continues to impact downstate areas throughout the day, don’t attempt to walk, bike, or drive in these conditions.
Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/gGeCShKR87— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 29, 2023
I am declaring a State of Emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the extreme rainfall we’re seeing throughout the region.
Please take steps to stay safe and remember to never attempt to travel on flooded roads.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 29, 2023
She urged citizens to avoid travelling. She said, “turn around, don’t drown” and those who travel are doing it at their own “peril”.
My message to New Yorkers impacted by today’s severe rain: Turn around, don’t drown.
We’re expecting to see more rain throughout today & tonight. Roads are closed & public transit is delayed or suspended in many areas due to flooding.
Please avoid travel as much as possible. pic.twitter.com/zrni25rPHw
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 29, 2023
National Weather Service had warned about flash flood and urged citizens to move to higher areas to ensure the safety. Kathy Hochul declared the situation to be “life threatening storm” and urged local to be aware of upcoming relentless rainfall.
Brooklyn took the harder blow with videos and photos circulating through social media depicting streets and subways under water. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut has been warned about upcoming storm and instructed to pull the guard up. New York has already witnessed a heavy downpour of rain ranging between two and five inches.
National Weather Service has issued emergency alerts to cell phones reading, “A FLASH FLOOD WARNING is in effect for this area until 12:30 pm EDT. 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”.
Ms. Hochul warned the citizens about the relentless rain and asked to stay safe. According to forecasters, the upcoming flood could be “historic”. Rohit Aggarwala from New York”s Department of Environmental Protection said the flood is a result of climate change. “This is the result of climate change. Our climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can respond”, he said as quoted by The Independent
As per the reports from National Weather Service, 6.08 inches of rain had poured upon the area since midnight. Citing this the National Weather Service consider the day to be the wettest, “Today is now preliminarily the wettest September day on record at JFK Airport, eclipsing the record from Hurricane Donna in 1960”.
Majority of the population in the area resort to subways as a means of travel. As half the subway stations and metro stations were flooded with water, commuters suffered long hours of delays and cancellations. Ms. Hochul also warned the citizens to plan their escape route in advance and not wait until its too late. “Don’t wait until water is over your knees before you leave. Don”t wait until it”s too late”, she said.
With inputs from agencies.
