NEW YORK – Life-threatening flash flooding is pummeling the New York City area Friday as remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia lash the already heavily saturated region with several inches of rain in mere hours.
All of New York City’s five boroughs were under Flash Flood Warnings Friday, as torrential rains flooded streets and subway stations, causing massive system-side disruptions to rail and bus services. Impacts were especially felt in Brooklyn, where nearly 6 inches of rain had already fallen by mid-morning.
Widespread 3 to 5 inches of total rain is anticipated throughout Friday across New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley, with locally higher amounts up to 7 inches of rain.
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The FOX Forecast Center said rainfall rates in some storms are reaching 2 inches per hour or more. Officials in New York City have stated that the subway system can only handle a maximum of 1 inch of rainfall per hour, and flooding may occur if it exceeds 1.5 inches.
“Heavy rain will inundate transportation systems and likely cause flash flooding in some areas today,” New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said. “This means that it will be dangerous to travel, especially by car.”
Bray said his agency is coordinating deployment of multi-agency flood rescue teams to Hudson Valley and Long Island. City officials have urged New Yorkers to use caution if commuting and avoid walking or driving through floodwaters.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the extreme rainfall.
“I encourage all New Yorkers to pay close attention to the storm conditions and forecast if you’re heading out today,” she warned.
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Parking lots and ramps were flooded at LaGuardia Airport, shutting down access to Terminal A. The airport said their airport fuel farm was also unreachable due to floods.
In Brooklyn, multiple cars were stranded with water up to windows on Prospect Expressway, according to a spotter report. On Coney Island, David A. Boody school flooded and had to be evacuated.
The estimated one-in-100-year flood event spreads from New Jersey to Connecticut, with flood alerts covering 25.1 million people in the tri-state area.
As of Friday morning, some areas have already received over 4-6 inches of rain with hours of storms still to go.
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An entire fleet of emergency trucks, deployable pumps and other equipment are on standby for a city that depends on the rails. Bus routes, bridges and tunnels are also being monitored closely. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subway system, has activated its 24-hour situation room.
There is currently a travel advisory in effect by the New York City Emergency Management that will last until 6 a.m. on Saturday. The persistent rainstorm in the country’s biggest city has been ongoing for over 70 hours, which has contributed to the problem.
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Furthermore, this comes after Tropical Storm Ophelia passed offshore during one of the wettest September’s on record.
“You think about this, and we’ve basically got a couple of different players here coming together,” FOX Weather meteorologist Amy Freeze said. “The ghost of Ophelia and the Supermoon join for a complex situation, a one-two punch of saltwater flooding and now the potential for freshwater flooding. And New Jersey appears to be the bulls-eye. But, you can’t discount the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island and even coastal Connecticut.”
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