Flash Flood Warning in New York City: Rare Weather Event Sparks Concerns of Flooding and Evacuations

Flash Flood Warning in New York City: On Sunday evening, as torrential rains caused at least one fatality in the northeastern region, federal forecasters issued a rare flash flood warning for the majority of New York City.

The boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx were included in the warning. Emergency management in New York City encouraged people living in basements to seek higher ground in a social media alert that was distributed in several different languages.

Flash Flood Warning in New York City

Read More about Flash Flood Warning in New York City

County Executive Steven Neuhaus claims that Orange County, New York, 60 miles north of New York City, where a 30-year-old woman was swept away in quickly rising waters while looking for higher ground with her dog, received a state of emergency declaration from New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

It was unknown who the woman was.

The hardest-hit communities, according to Neuhaus, include the community of Highland Falls, where the woman died, Fort Montgomery, and West Point. Initial reports, according to him, indicated property damage and stranded people in cars.

Cornwall, a city on the western bank of the Hudson River, issued a state of emergency and announced that only emergency vehicles would be allowed to travel.

According to a press release from Hochul’s office, approximately 13,000 utility customers were without power in the state, with a large number of them in the Hudson Valley, which includes Orange County.

Fort Montgomery resident Kristen Dyeroff O’Dell claimed that she was cut off from her husband and their three small sons and had no means to return inside the city. She made clear how important it was for the National Guard to reestablish access.

She remarked, “At the moment, landslides, flooded highways, power outages, and collapsing walls have blocked off our city from the rest of the world. I am currently staying at a friend’s house in Monroe, away from my kids, after trying various routes for five hours to get to Fort Montgomery. There were no passable routes.

Drone-based video footage from the area revealed water rescues occurring in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, in the midst of the flooding there. Reading, Pennsylvania, also reported experiencing flooding.

The storm had passed through Baltimore and Washington, D.C. by Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service offices in those cities. A probable warning of heavy rain and flash floods was issued by the Philadelphia office, which covers the area encompassing the shore of New Jersey.

In the Northeast, there may be delays for air travelers. Weather-related flight disruptions were recorded at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The Boston Logan International Airport published a list of multiple flights’ delays and cancellations.

In order to find out the status of their flights, travellers were instructed by airport officials to contact their specific airlines.

Train service between New York City and Albany has been halted due to weather, according to an Amtrak announcement made on Sunday night.

According to the weather service, a reasonably strong summer cold front and heavy rain with exceptionally high moisture content were clashing, increasing the risk of flooding from Pennsylvania and New York into New England by Monday.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

Sharing Is Caring: