New York has become the talk of the town since last night as constant rainfalls have kept the city on its toes, with several weather precautions issued to the citizens to survive the predicament.
While it is normal for rains to hit hard now and then, this flooding is like no other New York has ever seen. What’s more concerning is that it may remain for a while.
Reportedly, New York City experienced more than 5 inches of rainfall on Friday, leading several important travel routes such as subway stations, roads, and a few terminals at airports suspended for the time being. Many professionals claim the sudden rainfall is due to climate change, and the New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, has declared a state of emergency and urged the residents to stay home.
New York City Rainfall & Flooding Explained
New York City reportedly experienced a record-breaking rainfall on Friday, as 5 inches of rain hit the city while 8 inches engulfed the John F. Kennedy’s International Airport, which is more than any year since 1948.
Furthermore, Brooklyn also experienced a month’s worth of stormy rainfall in just three hours, leading to floods everywhere in the borough. The floodwater surges coursed through the streets into the subways, schools, and even vehicles caught in the flooding roads.
While the professional opinions state that it was caused by a sudden climate change, they also added that the warmer atmosphere has led to the intense spurs of flooded rains.
New York City’s Chief Climate Officer, Rohit Aggarwala, also stated in a Friday morning news conference that the shift in the weather pattern has led to a climate change, which may continue for a while.
Following these massive floods across the city, Firefighters rescued several people stuck in basements and roads. By 9.30 p.m. yesterday, Brooklyn had reportedly seen over 7 inches of rainfall, with Central Park and Fordham in the Bronx seeing 5 and 6 inches, respectively.
How Did the Rainfall and Floods Affect New York?
The sudden weather change has caused several unanticipated incidents in New York City, but thankfully, no casualties have been reported yet. Nonetheless, the storm caused trees to fall on driverless cars, while the city’s infrastructure was also tested to its limits.
Furthermore, LaGuardia and JFK airports had canceled most of their flights due to the flooding, and the former’s Terminal A only opened after the flooding had gotten under control, and they eventually resumed the services.
Meanwhile, the subway stations, basement apartments, and streets are still experiencing a flood watch. The weather reports state that the city could see another 1 to 3 inches of rainfall, making the situation dire.
While Firefighters have constantly been rescuing stuck people from cars and apartments, several famous locations have been drowned, including Central Park’s fountain, and the rescuers are constantly searching on rafts to rescue any individuals who were unfortunate to get stuck in the floods.
Moreover, the rainfall especially appears to be severe in regions such as Brooklyn and The Bronx River Parkway, as even the cars are almost submerged in the floods while the people stuck in them await rescue.
As of now, it is hard to tell when the heavy rainfall will cease, but we await more reports from the media and various news outlets.
So, stay tuned to Averagebeing’s world news for more updates on New York’s flooding as the situation evolves.
Source: NBC News
