Cause | Heavy rains |
---|---|
Meteorological history | |
Duration | September 29–30, 2023 |
Flood | |
Maximum rainfall | 9.80 in (249 mm) in Park Slope, New York |
Overall effects | |
Damage | $100 million (2023 USD)[1] |
Areas affected | Southeastern New York, Southwestern Connecticut, Northeastern New Jersey |
On September 29, 2023, heavy rainfall led to flooding across portions of the New York metropolitan area and areas in New York City, United States. New York governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for five boroughs in New York, including portions of Hudson Valley and Long Island, and New York City mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency for the city.[2][3] New Jersey governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties in the state, and Hoboken, New Jersey mayor Ravinder Bhalla also declared a state of emergency.
The flooding suspended train service across numerous lines in Brooklyn, and every New York City Subway route was affected. Metro-North Railroad service was suspended on three lines, and several boroughs and numerous streets were flooded throughout the region.[4] A ground stop was imposed on LaGuardia Airport, where nearly 60 flights were cancelled. The heavy rainfall was caused by a stalled low-pressure area as showers and thunderstorms developed on September 29.
Meteorological synopsis
A weak low-pressure area developed off the East Coast of the United States, absorbed the remains of Tropical Storm Ophelia,[5] then stalled, dropping heavy rainfall across areas that were already under a flood watch after Ophelia had moved through the same region days earlier.[6][7] Convection developed on the morning of September 29 after an upper-level trough approached from the Ohio valley and interacted with a strengthening cold front offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.[8][9]
Widespread heavy rainfall occurred in a concentrated area from the New York metropolitan area to southern New York to southern Connecticut to western Massachusetts along a low-level convergence axis.[10] Favorable precipitable water values, elevated convective instability, and southeasterly low-level winds between 20 and 30 knots supported several rounds of heavy rain across the concentrated area.[10] The mesoscale low-pressure area then moved east on the afternoon of September 29, where the convergence axis and elevated instability again produced heavy rainfall across Long Island, and weak instability values in the hundreds and moisture transport also contributed to rainfall rates of 1–2 inches (25–51 mm) per hour across southern Connecticut and western Massachusetts.[11][12]
Preparations and impact
A flood watch was issued for portions of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, while moderate risk of excessive rainfall was issued by the Weather Prediction Center on September 28, which was maintained through the next day.[13][14]
Numerous locations across received more than 4 inches (100 mm) of rain in New York, with the highest total being recorded in Park Slope, where 9.80 inches (249 mm) of rain fell.[15] Central Park received 5.48 inches (139 mm) of rainfall, Midtown Manhattan recording 6.09 inches (155 mm) of rain, 6.19 inches (157 mm) of rain fell in Fordham, and Howard Beach received 7.86 inches (200 mm) of rainfall.[16][17] The rainfall in Central Park was the sixth-highest rainfall over 141 years.[17] In Brooklyn, Gowanus and Valley Stream received 9.06 inches (230 mm) of rainfall,[18] and parts of the borough received 4.5 in (110 mm) of rain in just three hours.[19] The National Weather Service in New York City issued a considerable flash flood warning for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens as heavy rain fell throughout the region.[4] Additionally, flood warnings covered more than 18 million people across the New York metropolitan area.[20] From the floodwaters, 28 people were rescued.[21][22] The floods contributed to the wettest September in New York City since 1882, with 14.25 in (362 mm) of rainfall that month.[17][23]
Several highways, including all of Playland Parkway,[24] and portions of FDR Drive, Hutchinson River Parkway, Major Deegan Expressway (I-87), Brooklyn Queens Expressway (I-278), Cross Island Parkway, Belt Parkway, and Grand Central Parkway, were closed.[25][26][27] Traffic was stopped on the Prospect Expressway (NY 27) near Kensington as vehicles were inundated by floodwaters.[4]
Every New York City Subway service was affected, with four routes completely suspended, 12 partially suspended, and an additional eight services significantly delayed. There was no train service on the 2, 3, 4, 5 routes in Brooklyn, and no service on the B and G routes at all.[28][29] Metro-North Railroad service was suspended on the New Haven, Hudson and Harlem lines,[3][30] and the Long Island Rail Road experienced suspensions on the Far Rockaway Branch and Long Beach Branch.[31] A terminal at LaGuardia Airport was shut down due to flooding, while a ground stop was imposed at the airport.[32] Departures were delayed at John F. Kennedy International Airport due to heavy rainfall, with total rainfall of 8.65 inches (220 mm), which set the highest September rainfall total in a 24-hour period since Hurricane Donna.[21][33][34] NYC Ferry and Amtrak service was also delayed.[35][36]
Minor roof collapses and flooded basements occurred across the region.[37] A Major League Baseball game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field in Queens was postponed,[38] and a separate Mets game against the Miami Marlins was suspended in the ninth inning due to rain.[39] That game was later declared a Mets victory.[40] A National Hockey League preseason game between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders at UBS Arena was postponed.[41] Schools across the Bronxville Union Free School District were let out early due to the heavy rainfall that fell across portions of Bronxville and Westchester County, and an elementary school in Brooklyn was evacuated due to a boiler smoking possibly related to the flooding.[20][42] More than 150 schools across New York were inundated by floodwaters, and more than 105 school buses were delayed, which affected more than 250 schools.[43] The Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island was also closed.[44] Several attractions were closed, including Wildlife Conservation Society zoos;[45] a female sea lion also briefly escaped from its enclosure in the Central Park Zoo.[46]
Outside New York, sewers and roads were overwhelmed by flooding in Hoboken, New Jersey, and mayor Ravinder Bhalla declared a state of emergency.[32][47] Later, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties in the state and ordered all state offices to close.[48][49] In Connecticut, heavy rainfall forced closures on numerous roads, including a sinkhole on U.S. Route 202 in New Milford and flooding on Connecticut Route 199 in Washington.[50] Several festivals were postponed, and multiple flood warnings were issued by the National Weather Service.[51][52] The Housatonic River swelled in western portions of the state,[53] and damage occurred across several towns in the state, including in New Hartford, Norwalk, and Torrington.[50]
Nearly 300 flights were cancelled and 400 were delayed at LaGuardia Airport, while 200 flights were cancelled and more than 400 were delayed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.[54]
Aftermath
Following the floods, New York governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for five boroughs in New York, including boroughs in Hudson Valley and Long Island, and New York City mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency for the city.[2][3] The New York Army National Guard was deployed.[55] The Prospect Park Zoo was closed and did not re-open as of January 2024.[56][57] Electrical damage sustained from the heavy rains forced an evacuation and temporary closure of Woodhull Medical Center.[58] On January 31, 2024, United States president Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration first requested on November 29, 2023, primarily for the New York City area, resulting in financial aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be spent on infrastructure repairs stemming from the floods.[59][60][61]
See also
References
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