State of Emergency Declared in New York City Due to Severe Flooding
New York City and surrounding areas are grappling with a state of emergency following “extreme rainfall,” causing extensive flooding in the northeastern region. Overnight, some areas experienced up to 13cm (five inches) of rain, with an additional 18cm (seven inches) expected throughout the day, as stated by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
In a timely tweet on Friday morning, Governor Hochul declared a state of emergency encompassing New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley in response to the adverse weather conditions. She emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, “This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm. Count on this for the next 20 hours.”
The relentless rain had far-reaching consequences, including the suspension of a significant portion of the city’s subway system, widespread street and highway inundation, and the closure of at least one terminal at LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst, Queens.
An estimated 23 million people across areas of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut were placed under flood watches on Friday morning, with flash flood warnings in effect for portions of Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and New Jersey, according to NBC.