In one of the worst weather storms to hit the area in recent years, torrential rains caused flash floods in sections of New Jersey and New York City, burying roadways, automobiles, and subway stations. At least two people have been killed, and there have been reports of extensive damage.
The deaths happened late Monday night in Plainfield, New Jersey, when a car with two people inside was washed away by floodwaters that were rising. Governor Phil Murphy revealed during a news event on Tuesday that their remains were later found inside the submerged car. The extreme circumstances have prompted the declaration of a state of emergency.
An already vulnerable drainage system was overwhelmed by the storm’s enormous amount of rainfall, which started to batter the area late Monday and continued to intensify until Tuesday morning.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the rain in Manhattan’s Central Park was the second-highest on record, with over two inches falling in just one hour.
“I probably don’t recall seeing that level of rain before,” the mayor stated, recognising the unusual intensity of the downpour.
Social media users shared video images of water gushing into tube stations, including one particularly striking picture on Manhattan’s West Side where a water geyser exploded through a stairwell and into the platform below.
The storm’s impact was too much for the city’s transit system to handle. The century-old sewer system in New York is only built to withstand 1.75 inches of rain per hour, according to Commissioner for Environmental Protection Rohit Aggarwala.
But at its strongest, the storm brought more than four inches per hour, well above that limit.
Floodwaters flooded roads, tunnels, and airports, causing severe delays and cancellations for commuters. Throughout the night, emergency personnel continued to be on the ground, helping with evacuations and water rescues in the impacted neighbourhoods.
First responders performed multiple high-risk rescues in Westchester County, north of New York City, after drivers became stranded in swiftly rising floods. In less than two and a half hours, sections of New Jersey reportedly received up to six inches of rain, while the Nanuet area of Rockland County received more than five inches.
Governor Murphy blamed climate change for the rise in the frequency and intensity of these occurrences. He said, “That’s the new reality.”
Floods are currently occurring in places that have never seen this type of water before.
More flood warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas of the northeast, advising locals to exercise caution as rain is predicted to continue sporadically through Wednesday.
