NYC flooding – live: Damage assessed after state of emergency declared
Latest developments as New York City recovers from flash floods after historic rainfall sparked state of emergency
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New York has “officially transitioned into the recovery phase” after Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency following historic rainfall and flash flooding, officials said over the weekend.
The governor’s declaration came as torrential rain pummelled the northeastern US, her pleas for residents to stay home echoed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who’d also asked New Yorkers to shelter in place.
Most people heeded the call, the governor said Saturday – though at least 28 rescues were conducted by New York emergency services, she said.
Brooklyn was particularly hard hit by rising water with shocking videos showing streets and subways underwater, and one hospital forced to evacuate more than 150 patients after electrical damage forced its temporary closure. Widespread outages and delays were reported on the MTA, the agency that runs the city’s transit system, before it returned to full weekend service on Saturday.
Historic rainfall levels were recorded at locations from LaGuardia Airport to Central Park, where a sea lion named Sally gained viral video fame “after briefly exploring the flooded plaza inside the zoo,” officials said.
Emergency officials detail rescue team, equipment deployments
The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services deployed myriad resources amid Friday’s historic flooding, including 12 pumps from the DHSES stockpile sent to NYC for pre-staging, authorities said.
Another six pumps were sent to pump-out of the fuel yard of LaGuardia Airport, which recorded historic rain amounts.on Friday, NYSDHSES shared on social media.
The agency also deployed its Office of Fire Prevention and Control Waqter Rescue teams to assist residents who found themselves in trouble as flash floods swept the region. The agency posted images of the rescue of a woman in New Rochelle and said teams were assisting emergency services Friday in Westchester County and other areas.
On Saturday, DHSES also reminded social media users that 30 September marked the end of National Preparedness Month, urging Americans to take precautions such as developing an emergency plan for the whole family and building an emergency kit.
Two Red Cross shelters still operational Sunday
The Red Cross continued to operate two shelters Sunday opened to accommodate affected residents after Friday’s downpours and flooding, a spokesman told The Independent.
The organization, in coordination with local county offices of emergency management, opened shelters at Mamaroneck High School in Westchester and New Hyde Park Memorial High School in Nassau County on Long Island.
“I think we’re looking at how the population is adjusting, and I’m not sure what our plans are going forward,” the Red Cross spokesman said Sunday morning. “As long as people need them, we’ll still have them.”
The Red Cross was providing refuge for 11 residents on Long Island on Sunday and 10 in Westchester County. In addition to supporting shelters, Red Cross teams were “canvassing communities to assess damage and distribute cleanup kits,” GNY Red Cross posted on Saturday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday during a news conference that had no deaths had been reported during the storm, while 28 rescues had been made by emergency services. Police departments from other affected areas such as New Jersey were also posting footage of rescues as fast-moving floods overtook communities on Friday.
Officials were continuing to assess the damage on Sunday.
Storm-affected residents urged to report damage
Damage assessments continued Sunday after historic rainfall throughout the Northeast as state and city officials urged residents to officially report problems.
“Please share: If your home or property or street experienced damage, you can request service AND we also need. you to submit a damage report so we can fully assess the weather event’s impact to collect data,” NYC Emergency Management posted Saturday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Reporting damage, the agency continued, “can help you get repairs faster, and helps NYC know where the worst damage occurred. Data is used by city to determine funding for recovery.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Saturday morning that she’d spoken “with the White House yesterday, and I spoke with majority leader [Sen Chuck] Schumer, who contacted me immediately.
“They’re prepared to support an emergency declaration, a declaration of disaster, from the federal government, if necessary. There is a threshold that has to be met – $30m worth of damage ...it’ll take a number of weeks for us to add up and calculate that.”
A spokeswoman for NYC Mayor Eric Adams told The Independent on Saturday that “we are in the process of assessing the damage.”
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