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

Shocking videos show New York underwater amid flash flood warning

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”.

Key Points

• Worst of deluge hit during Friday morning rush hour
• Up to eight inches of rain could fall across city on Friday
• Disruption across New York Subway
• Streets across Brooklyn flooded with water as New Yorkers told not to travel
• Governor Kathy Hochul declares state of emergency
• Mayor Eric Adams tells New Yorkers to stay home or shelter in place if at work or school
• New York City flooding linked to climate change
• New York becomes the latest state to require flood disclosures in home sales

[1 October 2023 17:07 · Sheila Flynn]

Emergency officials detail rescue team, equipment deployments

The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services deployed myriad resources amid Friday’s historic flooding, including 12 pumps from the DHSES stockpile sent to NYC for pre-staging, authorities said.

Another six pumps were sent to pump-out of the fuel yard of LaGuardia Airport, which recorded historic rain amounts.on Friday, NYSDHSES shared on social media.

The agency also deployed its Office of Fire Prevention and Control Waqter Rescue teams to assist residents who found themselves in trouble as flash floods swept the region. The agency posted images of the rescue of a woman in New Rochelle and said teams were assisting emergency services Friday in Westchester County and other areas.

On Saturday, DHSES also reminded social media users that 30 September marked the end of National Preparedness Month, urging Americans to take precautions such as developing an emergency plan for the whole family and building an emergency kit.

[1 October 2023 18:16 · Sheila Flynn]

Two Red Cross shelters still operational Sunday

The Red Cross continued to operate two shelters Sunday opened to accommodate affected residents after Friday’s downpours and flooding, a spokesman told The Independent.

The organization, in coordination with local county offices of emergency management, opened shelters at Mamaroneck High School in Westchester and New Hyde Park Memorial High School in Nassau County on Long Island.

“I think we’re looking at how the population is adjusting, and I’m not sure what our plans are going forward,” the Red Cross spokesman said Sunday morning. “As long as people need them, we’ll still have them.”

The Red Cross was providing refuge for 11 residents on Long Island on Sunday and 10 in Westchester County. In addition to supporting shelters, Red Cross teams were “canvassing communities to assess damage and distribute cleanup kits,” GNY Red Cross posted on Saturday.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday during a news conference that had no deaths had been reported during the storm, while 28 rescues had been made by emergency services. Police departments from other affected areas such as New Jersey were also posting footage of rescues as fast-moving floods overtook communities on Friday.

Officials were continuing to assess the damage on Sunday.

[1 October 2023 19:58 · Sheila Flynn]

Storm-affected residents urged to report damage

Damage assessments continued Sunday after historic rainfall throughout the Northeast as state and city officials urged residents to officially report problems.

“Please share: If your home or property or street experienced damage, you can request service AND we also need. you to submit a damage report so we can fully assess the weather event’s impact to collect data,” NYC Emergency Management posted Saturday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Reporting damage, the agency continued, “can help you get repairs faster, and helps NYC know where the worst damage occurred. Data is used by city to determine funding for recovery.”

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.

“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.”