Extreme rainfall in New York on the night from Thursday to Friday – local time – led to major flooding. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in and around the city. Highways, roads and airport terminals are closed. The city council has called on people to stay at home. According to meteorologists, this much rain has not fallen in 75 years.
LOOK. Flooding due to heavy rainfall in New York
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for New York, Long Island and the Hudson Valley. “This is a life-threatening event,” Hochul warned at a news conference. “I want all New Yorkers to heed this warning so we can keep everyone safe.”
Images show how streets have been flooded. Vehicles have the greatest difficulty navigating their way through the mass of water. In some places the water has risen to the window height of the cars, completely blocking them. The National Weather Service is asking people to move to higher ground. “Act quickly to get to safety,” the weather service said.
Sea lion escapes
Due to the storm, a sea lion also briefly escaped from its enclosure in the Central Park Zoo, the city’s zoo. The heavy rain caused the pool where sea lion Sally was staying to flood. This allowed her to swim out. “The sea lion remained in the zoo and never breached the fence,” zoo deputy director Jim Breheny said. “After a brief exploration of the flooded zoo square, Sally returned to the enclosure, the water receded and all is well.”
NYPD Central Park
@NYPDCentralPark
Disruptions
Meanwhile, several major subway stations in New York are completely or partially flooded, meaning that some central lines cannot be served, mainly in Brooklyn. “We remain committed to getting the water away as quickly as possible,” the New York metro said. “Please stay home if you don’t have to travel.” La Guardia Airport, where mainly domestic flights depart and arrive, has closed Terminal A until further notice. JFK Airport and Newark also reported disruptions due to the severe weather. (Read more below the photos.)
Low pressure system
According to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who lives in New York, between five and twelve inches of rain fell in the Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn districts. Another two and a half to three inches of rainfall is expected in those same areas.
According to the U.S. Weather Service, the severe weather is being caused by a low-pressure system along the Mid-Atlantic coast, which is drawing moist air from the ocean, creating areas of heavy rainfall over the northern and eastern regions. (Read more below the photos.)
The flooding is being taken seriously by the authorities in New York, where the passage of Hurricane Ida in September 2021 killed thirteen people (and several dozen others in the region). Most of the victims were then trapped in the basements of houses that had been converted into apartments to respond to the city’s long-standing housing crisis.
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