More than 8.5 million people are under flash flood warnings in parts of New York and New Jersey, according to the region’s National Weather Service office. Since midnight, there had been widespread 1 to 2 inches of rain in the alert region, and much more was still to come.
The flood danger affects almost 25 million people in the Northeast on Friday, and there is a Level 3 of 4 “moderate” risk of flash flooding in the tri-state area of New York.
“We urge New Yorkers to prepare for heavy rain and potential flooding throughout Friday and Saturday morning,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said. “All New Yorkers need to exercise caution. If you must travel, consider using public transportation and allow for extra travel time, and if you must drive, do not enter flooded roadways.”
The greatest amounts of rain are anticipated to fall from central New Jersey northward to Manhattan, Long Island in New York, through southern Connecticut, and the Hudson Valley.
According to the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, flooding caused “major disruptions” to eight train lines in Brooklyn’s subway system.
The MTA has built drain covers and will dispatch employees and pump trains to key transit system stations. The public transit system has additional buses ready and waiting to offer supplemental service in the event that the storm interferes with the train system.
The next final supermoon of the year, which will happen early on Friday, may potentially worsen the effects of floods. The event is known to produce more severe tide cycles, which might raise the danger of flooding along the East Coast.
