New York: State of emergency declared as ‘life-threatening storm’ causes widespread flooding

A state of emergency has been declared in New York City and two different surrounding areas after “extreme rainfall” triggered widespread flooding within the northeast area.

Up to 13cm (5 inches) of rain fell in some areas in a single day, and as a lot as 18cm (seven inches) extra was anticipated all through the day, New York governor, Kathy Hochul, mentioned.

Writing on X (previously Twitter) on Friday morning, she declared a state of emergency in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, because of the climate.

Earlier on Friday, Ms Hochul mentioned: “This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm. Count on this for the next 20 hours.”

She mentioned her message to New Yorkers is that the “water is deadly”.

The rain shut down massive components of the town’s subway system, flooded streets and motorways, and at the least considered one of three terminals at LaGuardia Airport, in East Elmhurst, Queens was closed.

Virtually each subway line was at the least partly suspended, rerouted or working with delays, and two of the Metro-North Railroad’s three strains had been suspended.

Approximately 23 million individuals had been underneath flood watches throughout components of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut on Friday morning, with flash flood warnings in impact for components of Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and New Jersey, based on NBC.

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Footage posted on social media confirmed water pouring into underground stations and streets that had been changed into small lakes.

Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, warned individuals towards trying to journey within the situations till it clears.

Chaos throughout rush hour noticed some drivers abandon their vehicles as site visitors got here to a standstill on a stretch of FDR Drive – a significant highway alongside the east facet of Manhattan.

One driver reported that site visitors had not moved on the highway for 3 hours.

“Never seen anything like this in my life,” Priscilla Fontallio mentioned.

Ms Hochul mentioned on Friday that excessive climate is one thing the New York area should “get used to” because of the results of local weather change.

According to scientists, because the planet warms, storms are forming in a warmer environment, making excessive rainfall extra frequent.