New York Governor Kathy Hochul was forced to declare a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley after Tropical Storm Ophelia recently made its landfall. New York City has been hit hard, as heavy rainfall caused flash floods, with over seven inches of rain being reported in some areas.
The storm has already caused significant delays across the area, with one to two inches an hour reaching Brooklyn and Queens particularly hard. LaGuardia’s Terminal A was closed due to weather conditions and John F Kennedy had already recorded three inches of rain since midnight.
Subway services have been largely suspended as Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine reported five inches before 11am. The National Weather Service extended a flood watch from 2am through the night, expecting Central New Jersey all the way to Southern Connecticut and Hudson Valley to be hit hardest with up to seven inches of rainfall possible in some areas further out from NYC’s five boroughs, Philadelphia at two inches, Boston at two inches and Hartford at three or more.
State of emergency declared in New York City as flash flood dumps up to 7" of rain in final blow from Tropical Storm Ophelia: Entire streets underwater – with city's buses taking on water in incredible rush hour scenes. pic.twitter.com/dXHLIoWScc
— Molly Ploofkins™ (@Mollyploofkins) September 29, 2023
The forecast calls for dangerous and life-threatening flooding throughout the region which could significantly impact morning commutes even though it is supposed to lighten by evening time but will continue into Saturday morning according to city officials.
The MTA took preemptive measures by checking storm drains at 157th Street subway station as they will be monitoring conditions closely throughout the storm after activating their 24-hour situation room for any repairs needed.
An emergency alert was sent out around 9:30am warning individuals about flash floods until 12:30pm EDT while urging them not attempt travel unless under an evacuation order – leaving many locals worried about what might happen this weekend if the storm continues its course hammering down wet weather over the East Coast.
Marcy Ave. & Flushing Ave. in Brooklyn. Streets are worse than Ida at 8:45 AM. #flashflood #flashflooding #flooding #flood #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #brooklyn #rain #rainstorm #storm #downpoor #streetflooding pic.twitter.com/SMS37h7OVn
— Steve Kastenbaum (@SKastenbaum) September 29, 2023
