State of emergency in New York City as flash flooding inundates area
More than a month’s worth of rain fell within hours Friday morning across parts of New York City and Long Island, inundating much of Brooklyn, flooding utility infrastructure, stranding vehicles and subway commuters, and prompting an emergency declaration. Rain, heavy at times, was forecast to continue into the evening.
In all, some 7 inches of rain had fallen in the most waterlogged sections of Brooklyn and Queens from the overnight hours through Friday afternoon, about double their normal precipitation for September.
It was more than enough to make Friday one of New York City’s rainiest days on record — and the wettest on record at JFK International Airport with nearly 8 inches of rain.
The rainfall sent floodwaters pouring over roadways and into subway stations and basements across the city, though no deaths were reported. Floods forced the closure of FDR Drive along the East River throughout Lower and Midtown Manhattan as well as sections of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The Metropolitan Transit Authority warned of major service disruptions and suspensions on several subway lines that continued into the afternoon. LaGuardia International Airport closed one of its three terminals.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island and into the Hudson Valley, urging residents to refrain from traveling on flooded roads.
The flooding was the worst the city had seen since Hurricane Ida, whose intense downpours in 2021 killed more than 40 people across the New York region. Some of those deaths included people who drowned in basement apartments that quickly filled with water.
New York fire authorities said residents of six basement apartments had been rescued by midday Friday, and firefighters also responded to many calls for people trapped in vehicles.