New York flash floods kill 1 amid mudslides and road closures
Heavy rain sparked extreme flooding in parts of New York state on July 9, prompting water rescues and road closures. (Video: Julie Yoon/The Washington Post)
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Flash flood warnings were issued for New York City overnight, with officials asking residents of basement apartments to move to a higher floor and for all New Yorkers to stay off roads. Heavy rainfall, the city said in a statement, could be dangerous for low-lying areas and those with poor drainage systems.
The Hudson Valley in southeastern New York was the most affected as of Sunday evening. One storm-related death was reported in the town of Highlands, state Sen. James Skoufis (D) said in an email, adding that efforts were ongoing to determine whether there were more casualties, as “vital infrastructure and homes were washed away.”
In some cases, he added, entire roads were not just impassable from the flooding but “completely destroyed.” The nearby U.S. Army Garrison at West Point reported flooded and washed-out roads, urging people to stay home. Orange County and Rockland County received 5 to 8 inches of rain, the National Weather Service said.
Calling the floods “life-threatening,” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) issued a state of emergency for Orange and Ontario counties late Sunday. Nearly 13,000 residents were without power because of the storms in Orange County, she said.
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“Torrential downpours” were likely to bring flash flooding to Manhattan and the Bronx, the National Weather Service said. By late Sunday, an inch of rain had fallen in the areas and an additional inch or two was expected.
The last severe deluge and flooding in New York City came from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021 and was linked to 44 deaths in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, 16 of them in New York City. The city’s inadequate infrastructure and drainage system were major factors in its vulnerability to flooding.
This weekend’s severe weather also affected travel services. Amtrak said it temporarily halted services between New York City and Albany, while Newark and LaGuardia airports reported flight disruptions.
24-hour estimated rainfall In inches as of 10 p.m., July 9 2 4 6 10 L. Ontario VER. N.H. Syracuse NEW YORK Albany MASS. Highlands PENNSYLVANIA CONN. Scranton State College New York Allentown Harrisburg Atlantic Ocean Philadelphia N.J. MD. 50 MILES Baltimore Dover THE WASHINGTON POST Source: NOAA 24-hour estimated rainfall In inches as of 10 p.m., July 9 2 4 6 10 VER. N.H. NEW YORK Albany MASS. Highlands 50 MILES CONN. Scranton New York Allentown PA. N.J. Philadelphia Harrisburg MD. Dover THE WASHINGTON POST Source: NOAA 24-hour estimated rainfall In inches as of 10 p.m., July 9 2 4 6 10 NEW YORK VER. Albany MASS. 50 MILES Highlands CONN. PA. Scranton New York Allentown N.J. Philadelphia MD. Dover THE WASHINGTON POST Source: NOAA
“If you do not need to be on the road, stay off the road. We have a number of emergencies,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus warned residents in a Facebook update from the Highland Falls area in the southern part of the county.
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Numerous roads were flooded, and mudslides were reported by the emergency services office of the town of Cornwall, also in Orange County. “Travel is impossible,” the office said on Facebook, advising residents to move to higher ground.
State troopers were helping stranded motorists on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County, said Steven Nevel, a spokesman for the New York State Police who reported a “terrible” situation, with roads crumbling. Images shared by the state police showed submerged vehicles on the highway and damaged roads.
The William Moreau Popolopen Bridge in Highland Falls was not passable, and multiple roads remained closed.
Hochul told local reporters that the state was possibly staring at back-to-back days of flooding.
“My biggest concern,” she said, “is the fact that most people’s lives that are lost during a flood event occur because they’re in their vehicles — not in their homes, but in their vehicles.”
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Craig Ceecee, a meteorologist and PhD student at Mississippi State University, described the extremely heavy rain in the lower Hudson Valley as a “once-in-1,000 year rainfall event” in a tweet.
Another meteorologist said that the Hudson Valley experienced a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours.
“The #HudsonValley’s warming climate is increasing the risk for heavy rainfall,” tweeted Ben Noll, a New Zealand-based meteorologist who is from the Hudson Valley, adding that a warmer atmosphere makes heavier rainfall events more probable. The trend can contribute to “increased risk for extreme rainfall rates that can cause flash flooding, too,” he wrote.
Over 150 water related call including dozens of water rescues. Currently state fire, Monroe county water rescue, Ontario county water rescue and several other agencies are assisting. pic.twitter.com/bvNMKjPkKd — Canandaigua Fire (@IAFF2098) July 10, 2023
Flash flood threats could spread Monday to Vermont, the National Weather Service said Sunday.
Gov. Phil Scott (R) declared a state of emergency in Vermont on Sunday, in anticipation of the storms and possible flooding.
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Source: The Washington Post
