Four weeks after Hurricane Ida’s destructive remnants flooded much of New York City, residents are being asked to guard against potential flooding from heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast for the Five Boroughs between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the entire city, with much of the city expected to get up to 2 inches of rain. It’s part of a slow-moving cold front that moving eastward and could bring heavy winds of up to 58 mph, as well as isolated thunderstorms.
That prompted the city’s Emergency Management Department to issue a travel advisory for potential storm-related road and train station closures. The agency also activated its Flash Flood Emergency Plan, which includes interagency coordination for flood preparation and work crews being dispatched to clear catch basins of debris.
“The City is still working to recover Ida, and we want to ensure that New Yorkers are ready. New Yorkers should prepare for possible thunderstorms that can cause strong wind gusts and moderate rainfall,” Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani said. “New Yorkers should give themselves additional travel time and take the appropriate precautions if they must move about the city during the storm.”
The Emergency Management Department also advised residents living in basement apartments to be prepared to move to higher ground if flooding begins in their home. No fewer than 11 people living in such residences died as a result of flash flooding related to Ida’s remnants between Sept. 1-2.
Residents in other flood-prone areas should also have sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber on hand to help protect their homes from potential flooding.
The Five Boroughs are coming off a summer that saw record rainfall. Ida’s remnants dumped more than 8 inches of rain across the city, prompting the first-ever flash flood emergency declaration from the National Weather Service and producing catastrophic flooding in some spots.
Just two weeks prior to Ida’s arrival, Tropical Storm Henri on Aug. 21-22 left parts of the city flooded under as much as 7 inches of rain.
