Heavy Rain and Wind Storm Expected in NYC

Grab your umbrellas, New York City is going to be hit by another heavy rain storm.

According to the National Weather Service, starting tonight, Jan. 12, and going into Saturday, Jan. 13, moderate to heavy rain is expected to fall on New York City, with the heaviest rain coming down between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Citywide, there is expected to be 1 to 1.5 inches of rain at rates around 0.10 to 0.25 inch/hour. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also possible throughout the duration of the storm. According to the New York City Emergency Management Department, minor flooding is likely in basements, first floors, and underground infrastructures.

There are coastal flood warnings in effect for several areas in New York City:

South Queens, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 13, for 2 to 2.5 feet of moderate flooding and 3 feet of major local flooding
Bronx and north Queens, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 13, for 1.5 to 2 feet of minor flooding
Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 13, or 1 to 2 feet of minor flooding

Just like the rain, the wind is expected to return in huge gusts starting at 10 p.m. Jan. 12 to 6 a.m. Jan. 13, with southeast winds rising to 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. Gusts of 35 to 45 mph are expected to continue throughout the day Saturday into Sunday. The wind may result in downed trees, power lines, and power outages, so those who have to travel should do so with caution.

Like with the last heavy rain, MTA Bridges and Tunnels will implement a ban on empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks on all bridges starting at 9 p.m. on Friday through 6 a.m. on Saturday. The pedestrian walkways on the Marine Parkway and Cross Bay Bridges will be closed during this time as well.

For more information and the latest updates on the forecast, visit the National Weather Service website. For safety tips, visit NYC.gov/SevereWeather. To learn more about the Notify NYC program or to sign up, visit the Notify NYC website, call 311, or download the free Notify NYC app.