A powerful rush-hour rainstorm inundated the New York metropolitan area on Friday, resulting in the shutdown of sections of the city’s subway system, widespread street and highway flooding, and disruptions to flights at LaGuardia Airport. New York Governor Kathy Hochul swiftly declared a state of emergency encompassing New York City, Long Island, and the surrounding regions.
The remnants of Ophelia saturated New York City with heavy rain early on Friday, leading to flash flooding in various parts of the city, as reported by Xinhua news agency. A flood watch remains in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for the entire tri-state area, encompassing New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with expected rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour at times.
The ferocious storms forced the closure of significant portions of New York City’s subway system, inundated streets and highways, and disrupted access to at least one terminal at LaGuardia Airport.
Multiple subway lines were suspended during Friday morning, with others halting service due to flooding, particularly in Brooklyn.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s subway account, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, issued this statement: “There is only extremely limited subway service available because of heavy flooding. Service is suspended at many stations.”
The MTA, responsible for operating subway and commuter rail lines, advised the residents of the nation’s most populous city to stay home whenever possible. Virtually every subway line experienced partial suspension, rerouting, or delays, and two of the Metro-North Railroad’s three lines were suspended.
Governor Hochul’s announcement on Friday was soon followed by a similar directive from New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who urged residents to seek shelter during the storm’s peak.
Mayor Adams emphasized, “I want to say to all New Yorkers, this is a time for heightened alertness and extreme caution. If you are home, stay home. If you are at work or school, shelter in place for now.”
By 11 am on Friday, some parts of New York City had already received five inches of rainfall. In Central Park, this marked the most significant rainfall since the remnants of Hurricane Ida passed through two years prior.
Video footage depicted cars stranded in flooded streets within the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough. Some individuals were seen working to clear drains in flooded areas.
Additionally, severe weather conditions led to the postponement of a scheduled Friday night baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.
Post Your Comments