NYC flooding: Damage assessed after state of emergency declared
Latest developments as New York City is hit by flash floods and state of emergency is declared
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Your support makes all the difference.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”.
Governor details 28 rescues amid ‘historic’ rainfall
More than two dozen rescues were made on Friday during heavy rainfall that flooded regions of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The governor held a press conference in New York City on Saturday following “historic” rainfall levels one day earlier.
“I want to thank all the first responders who did show up, including our Swift Water teams who made 28 rescues – 28 rescues in raging waters to help save New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island yesterday,” she said. “And thousands of utility crews have also been on standby, ready to keep our state moving.”
The governor announced during the press conference that full weekend MTA service had been restored thanks to workers’ diligent efforts under challenging conditions.
“There are some New Yorkers who’ve never seen the likes of which we experienced yesterday in their entire lives,” she said. “This event was historic, in some areas was record-shattering, and it is the most rain ever recorded in a single day in a place like JFK ever – not just this summer, not this year, but ever.
“And the record is still coming in,” she said. “We’re still monitoring, the rain is still falling. And it’s such in some places, it’ll be the most rain that has ever hit in 70 years.”
Governor calls bus drivers ‘true heroes’ during storm
Lessons learned from previous storms helped avert disaster Friday as the New York region faced torrential downpours and flooding, officials said – but the governor particularly called out bus drivers for the heroic part they played in the day’s events.
“At one time, during the storm, we had 4300 buses on the roads at the peak –about 3500 a little bit later in the day,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday. “What these buses did, and these brave bus drivers, the bus operators were able to give an alternative, a lifeline, to people who otherwise would have been stranded. The last thing we want ever is for someone to be stranded in a tunnel. That is frightening.
“So when things are starting to look bad, the trains are being pulled back into the station, passengers discharged, well what happens then? Where do they go? And that’s something we dealt with literally by the minute yesterday, making sure there were buses in place, enough operators called in to service them, to make sure we could keep it going, as well.
“So these bus drivers were the true heroes,” she said. “They drove into water not knowing what was on the other side; they knew their job was to get people to the next destination safely. And they did an extraordinary job – 99% of the bus routes continued during the storm.”
New York officially transitions to ‘recovery phase'
New York officials on Saturday said they had “officially transitioned into the recovery phase” following “historic” rainfall on Friday throughout the Northeast.
“Our teams remain fully engaged on the ground, rigorously working to restore essential services and evaluate the full scope of the damage to infrastructure and buildings. Emergency Management is actively coordinating with our partners to execute emergency plans that encompass operations like debris management, addressing downed trees, damage assessments, sheltering, and community outreach,” an Emergency Management spokeswoman said in an email to The Independent.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Saturday morning that she’d spoken “with the White House yesterday, and I spoke with majority leader [Sen Chuck] Schumer, who contacted me immediately,” the governor said. “They’re prepared to support an emergency declaration, a declaration of disaster, from the federal government, if necessary. There is a threshold that has to be met – $30m worth of damage ...it’ll take a number of weeks for us to add up and calculate that.”
A spokeswoman for NYC Mayor Eric Adams told The Independent on Saturday that “we are in the process of assessing the damage.”
Hospital electrical damage in Brooklyn prompts transfer of patients
Electrical damage caused by Friday flooding at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn forced the transfer and evacuation of patients and staff, authorities said Saturday.
“Yesterday, @NYCHealthSystem-Woodhull’s electrical system suffered damage as a result of flooding,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams posted Saturday evening on X, the platform formerly known as twitter. “The hospital was able to switch to back-up power, and service to patients continued under the close, watchful eye of medical professionals.
“But as repairs continue, we need to transfer patients to other @NYCHealthSystem hospitals. We’ve moved swiftly, with only 50 patients left to be moved. We immediately notified patients and families.
“We can report these New Yorkers are in the best care with no major issues,” the mayor wrote. “I thank our frontline workers for making sure this process is as smooth as possible.”
NY Sanitation officials clearing debris from ‘catch basins across the City’
Cleanup efforts were continuing throughout Saturday in the New York region after “historic” rainfall one day earlier led to flash flooding and other challenges.
NYC Sanitation authorities on Saturday evening posted on X, the platform formerly known as twitter, that they were “clearing storm debris from catchbasins across the City.”
“Collection is ongoing, and storm-impacted residents may place material at the curb as needed,” NYC Sanitation posted, along with accompanying photos.
Various New York residents responded to the post, including New York State Assembly Member Khaleel M. Anderson, who represents Queens, who posted photo and video of “a few that need this support in my district.”
Zoos reopen following sea lion’s brief viral fame
Various New York zoo locations had safely reopened on Friday after one City resident – a sea lion – made headlines during Friday’s heavy rains and flooding.
A sea lion named Sally at the Central Park Zoo on Friday “was able to swim out of her pool due to flooding of the plaza caused by severe rains in New York City,” Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo and Executive Vice President of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Zoos and Aquarium, said in a statement.
He posted on X that, after “briefly exploring the flooded plaza inside the zoo, sea lion Sally returned to the enclosure, the flood waters receded & all is well @centralparkzoo w/ our sea lions all safely content in their exhibit.”
A spokeswoman for the zoo on Saturday told The Independent that “three of our Wildlife Conservation Society zoos – Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo and Queens Zoo – and our NY Aquarium reopened today.”
Prospect Park Zoo remained closed Saturday, she added.
Images capture workers’ tireless cleanup efforts
Pictures were emerging on Saturday of ongoing cleanup efforts amidst tireless work by city staff and residents to recover from Friday’s flooding.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul repeatedly thanked workers, posting images on X, the platform formerly known as twitter, with an accompanying message.
“Union labor keeps New York running every day no matter the challenge!” the Democratic governor wrote. “ I’m especially grateful to the first responders and state and local government employees for getting us through this historic rainfall.”
Damage assessments were also continuing, with the governor saying Saturday that federal aid had not been ruled out. Record rainfall amounts Friday were observed at locations from JFK and LaGuardia Airports to Central Park, according to the National Weather Service.
NJ police video shows Friday water rescue of motorist
Footage of rushing waters – and subsequent rescues – continued to circulate on social media over the weekend after record-breaking rainfall sparked flooding on Friday through New York and other parts of the Northeast.
In one particularly poignant video from the Fairfield Police Department of Essex County, New Jersey, Corporal Steven D’Argenio can be seen freeing a motorist trapped in a car in a parking lot on Passaic Avenue.
“Please understand this flooding is serious,” the department wrote in a Friday Facebook,post, adding: “Do not drive into flooded waters or around barricades. If you find yourself trapped, stay calm and dial 911.”
More than two dozen rescues were made on Friday during heavy rainfall that flooded regions of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The governor held a press conference in New York City on Saturday following “historic” rainfall levels one day earlier.
“I want to thank all the first responders who did show up, including our Swift Water teams who made 28 rescues – 28 rescues in raging waters to help save New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island yesterday,” she said.
More than 150 patients transferred from Brooklyn hospital before temporary closure
More than 150 patients, including 17 in intensive care, were transferred out of Brooklyn’s Woodhull Hospital on Saturday before the facility closed down to fix electrical damage, CBS reported.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams had earlier in the day held a press conference regarding the power issues, outlining the multi-agency response as it continued to transfer the remaining few dozen patients.
“There was an energy outage and the hospital was running on emergency backups, and as soon as those started to run out the hospital had to close down and evacuate the patients who were in the hospital to go to sister hospitals,” City Councilman Chi Osse told CBS.
The councilman said the hospital and Con Edison were working diligently to restore full power at the facility, located within his constituency.
“Yesterday’s storm rally shined a light on our crumbling infrastructure, not just my district, but Brooklyn,” he said. “Woodhull Hospital is a hospital in deep need of investment.”
A perhaps unexpected consequence of Friday’s historic rainfall and flooding may seem contradictory, at first glance – with fires reportedly cropping up across Manhattan.
“Among the sights one might expect during a flood – floating trash bags, gushing toilets, subway waterfalls – street fires might not be high on the list,” New York Magazine posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in the wake of the deluges..
“And yet, several are popping up throughout the city, most of which appear to be manhole fires,” the magazine’s account posted, along with accompanying blaze footage.
Will Anderson, a Brooklyn resident who observed one such fire and shared footage with Curbed.com, told the outlet: “I saw all the smoke outside my window, and all these firetrucks, so I thought an apartment was on fire.
“When I saw it on the street, me and my friend went and got breakfast in case it exploded.”
The FDNY did not immediately return a request for comment Sunday from The Independent.
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