New York City declares state of emergency

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On Friday, heavy rainfall resulted in flash flooding throughout New York City, causing certain areas to be submerged in water. It was one of the rainiest days the city had experienced in years.

A big tempest got stuck in the area during the night of Thursday, causing flood watches and warnings in the five boroughs and some areas of upstate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

As commuters started their Friday morning journey, the rain kept pouring heavily without any sign of stopping. Later on, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York declared a state of emergency as the highways were flooded, the subway ceased to operate and citizens were forced to walk through the inundated streets knee-deep in water.

The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, requested that citizens who have already gone out for work or school should stay home or "shelter in place". He cautioned that the storm could bring about a rainfall of up to eight inches before it subsides.

The mayor is facing criticism yet again as he failed to address the public until Friday morning, by which time the situation had worsened. This is not the first time Mr. Adams has faced criticism; he was previously called out for his handling of the air quality crisis caused by the Canadian wildfires back in June.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that there had been rainfall measuring three to six inches by Friday morning and more was expected in the next 24 hours. There were some experts who cautioned that the flooding could surpass previous records, making it an event of historical proportions.

The National Weather Service tweeted that JFK Airport has experienced the most rain in a September day so far. This has surpassed the record set by Hurricane Donna in 1960. Rainfall measuring up to 6.08 inches has been recorded since midnight, beating the previous record of 5.83 inches.

The New York subway system faced serious issues with half of it being suspended as a result of flooding. Moreover, on Friday afternoon, delays continued to be widely observed. Similarly, commuter rail services across the tri-state areas were also experiencing delays and cancellations owing to the consequences of the disturbances caused by the flooding.

The leader of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Janno Lieber, mentioned that they had 3,500 buses in operation for people who required transportation. However, even with that many buses, problems still arose. A video surfaced online, revealing a bus in Brooklyn driving through a flooded area with a submerged floor.

The region's roads and highways were submerged, and Terminal A at LaGuardia was shut down until further notice. Many flights were cancelled or postponed at LaGuardia Airport and JFK, which is located nearby. The National Weather Service cautioned that the intense rainfall was putting rivers and streams in danger, which could lead to more flooding.

New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley are currently under a state of emergency, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. The focus is mainly on basement homes as there have been incidences of people losing their lives due to flooding during Hurricane Ida which happened two years ago. This has raised concern among officials.

During a press conference on Friday, Ms. Hochul advised to prepare and strategize a path of escape. She emphasized the importance of not delaying until the water level reaches knee-height or waiting until it becomes impossible to evacuate.

There is severe flooding near the Barclays Center in Prospect Heights of Brooklyn.

In certain locations, the precipitation was pouring at a velocity of one to 2.5 inches every hour. According to Rohit Aggarwala, the head of New York's Department of Environmental Protection, the Brooklyn Navy Yard was hit with 2.58 inches of rain from 8am till 9am. However, the city's sewer system, constructed 120 years ago, was only designed to withstand up to 1.75 inches per hour.

Mr. Aggarwala has stated that the current outcome is a direct consequence of climate change. Our infrastructure is unable to keep up with our rapidly changing climate. Due to the higher temperatures, the atmosphere can retain more moisture which in turn increases the chances of extreme rainfall during storms.

Images and clips shared on social networking sites displayed flooded areas of the metropolis, such as Park Slope and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. Citizens of New York were spotted standing in water that reached as high as their knees.

People who live in Mamaroneck, a suburb in Westchester County, New York, managed to get away from flood waters when they experienced heavy rainfall.

A public health worker named Dr. Lucky Tran advised individuals to avoid entering the water. He used his Twitter account to remind them that flooding had transpired around the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. As a superfund location, it has pathogens and poses a risk to people's health.

Possible free English version: There are some places where flash flooding could happen soon, and they include several neighborhoods in Manhattan such as Lower East Side, East Village, Soho, and Midtown, as well as other locations like Coney Island and Rockaway Beach in Brooklyn, Crown Heights in Brooklyn, and Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, and LaGuardia Airport in Queens.

In New Jersey, flooding caused damage to Jersey City, Hoboken, Hackensack, Newark, and Elizabeth, all of which are located across the Hudson River. The Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, made the decision to close all state offices, except for those with essential staff, at 3pm.