By Horace Palacio: Based on a report from AP News, New York City witnessed one of its most torrential days in recent memory on Friday. The heavy downpour led to extensive disruptions, from crippled subway lines to highway obstructions, inundated basements, and even the brief closure of a terminal at LaGuardia Airport.
A staggering 8.65 inches of rain was recorded at John F. Kennedy Airport, surpassing the previous record set during Hurricane Donna in 1960, as per the National Weather Service. Specific regions in Brooklyn were inundated with over 7.25 inches of rain, and in certain areas, a shocking 2.5 inches of rain was registered in just an hour. Unfortunately, more rain is anticipated on Saturday.
The aftermath of the recent rain is reminiscent of the devastation caused two years ago by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which claimed the lives of 13 individuals in NYC. Although no casualties were reported from Friday’s storm, it revived harrowing memories for many, including Joy Wong from Woodside, Queens, who narrowly escaped the flooding that took the lives of three of her neighbors, including a young child, in 2021.
With a clear urgency to address the situation, both Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams declared states of emergency and advised residents to stay indoors. However, the day proceeded as usual for many, with schools in session and adults heading to their workplaces.
Transportation was in chaos. Nearly every subway line faced delays, rerouting, or complete suspension. Metro-North’s services faced hours-long suspension and the Long Island Rail Road faced disruptions. Remarkably, 44 of the city’s 3,500 buses were stranded due to the flooding, leading to citywide bus service disturbances.
Air travel too wasn’t spared. LaGuardia Airport suspended all incoming flights for a brief period due to flooding in the refueling area. The airport’s Terminal A was non-operational for several hours but resumed services by 8 p.m.
Many sought answers to the unprecedented rainfall. Meteorologists identified the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia in the Atlantic combined with a mid-latitude system from the west as the culprits. This merged system remained in New York for nearly 12 hours.
Recent climatic patterns, influenced by global warming, have been found to increase the moisture-carrying capacity of the atmosphere, resulting in more frequent and severe rainfalls. Despite this specific storm not being strictly attributed to warming patterns, its intensity has been labeled as unusual by climate scientists.
Central Park reported 5.8 inches of rain by the end of the day on Friday. As New York braces itself for further potential downpours, there is growing concern over the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events and their devastating consequences.
