Historic citywide flooding in New York City over the past three days has highlighted the vulnerability of the city’s infrastructure to climate change impacts.
Historic citywide flooding in New York City over the past three days has highlighted the vulnerability of the city’s infrastructure to climate change impacts.
Latest press reports suggest that the flooding has killed at least 44 people across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
New York City experienced widespread flash flooding through Wednesday into early Thursday morning after the remains of Hurricane Ida hit the northeast after making landfall in Louisiana.
The City’s Emergency Management Department is continuing to coordinate the interagency response to historic citywide flooding that occurred in New York City beginning on Wednesday.
Several City agencies ― including the FDNY, NYPD, the Departments of Environmental Protection, Parks, Buildings, Transportation, the New York City Housing Authority, and Emergency Management are continuing to respond to hazards caused by the storm.
According to the National Weather Service, Central Park broke its all-time 1-hour rainfall rate with 3.15 inches of rain recorded between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday. Central Park also received 7.19 inches of rain by Thursday morning, making it the fifth-largest daily rainfall in the past 150 years.
It also marked the first time the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency for New York City. New York City has declared a local state of emergency due to the weather.
The Emergency Management Department described the storm as “unlike anything New York City has
"New York City experienced some devastating effects from this storm, including damage to homes and loss of life," said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani. "Our agencies and partners are working around the clock to make sure all New Yorkers have the resources they need to recover."
On Sunday an 83-strong team was separately deployed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which activated Urban Search and Rescue - New York Task Force 1 to assist in Hurricane Ida response and recovery efforts in Louisiana. The team is managed by the New York City Emergency Management Department and is made up of specially trained personnel from the New York City Fire Department and the New York City Police Department.
The team was deployed with equipment and tools to support its operations, including four water rescue boats, motors, items to support rescues from collapsed structures and confined spaces, as well as a compilation of hazardous materials response equipment.
There are 28 FEMA US&R teams strategically located throughout the United States that can be deployed within six hours of activation.
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