New York City Faces Second Flood Threat in a Week as Heavy Rain Returns
On Saturday, the second consecutive weekend, New York City will be at risk of flooding due to heavy rainfall in the Northeast.
Northern New Jersey to northern Maine will be drenched by a cold front, followed by remnants of former tropical storm Philippe. These areas have a minor risk of excessive rainfall from Saturday morning through early Sunday, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
In addition to heavy precipitation, gusty gusts and high surf are expected along the New England coast in eastern Maine, according to the prediction center.
According to weather forecasters, this weekend’s storms won’t bring as much rain as last week’s record-setting rain, which caused chaos on New York City’s subways and roads. Even so, flood warnings are still in place for the same areas that were hit hard on Saturday.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for portions of southeastern New York, including much of New York City, southern Connecticut, and northeastern New Jersey from 2 a.m. Saturday until evening.
A large portion of Maine will be under a flood watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday.
On Saturday and Sunday, it’s expected to rain between 1 and 3 inches in the New York City area, central New York, and New England. Up to 5 inches more could fall in Maine, which is where the biggest rain is expected to happen. Maine and portions of northern New England are expected to bear the brunt of Philippe’s aftereffects.
As of Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center predicted that remnants of post-tropical cyclone Philippe would travel over portions of Atlantic Canada and New England this weekend.
This would be the third weekend in a row that the Northeast is pounded by torrential rain. During the weekend of September 23, Ophelia drenched the Northeast, followed by walls of rain that halted air travel, flooded basements, and necessitated water rescues in New York City.
As the storm approaches New York City on Saturday, officials are advising residents to be prepared for 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rainfall citywide, with the possibility of 3 to 4 inches in flood-prone areas.
In this regard, a deputy mayor implored basement dwellers to relocate to higher ground by Friday evening. First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright told reporters on Friday, “Since this will occur overnight, you may be asleep; therefore, you should prepare now.”
Wright urged New Yorkers to prepare for potential inundation and travel disruptions in flood-prone areas, as the ground was still saturated from last week’s storm.
“In this time of man-made climate crisis, flash floods and other climate events are a part of our reality,” said Wright. In fact, this is the new norm.
The city has more than one hundred water rescue teams on standby, and employees are working to clear collect basins so they can absorb more water, according to a news conference held by city officials on Friday.
According to experts and scientists, human-caused climate change is a significant factor in the likelihood of more frequent and severe extreme weather events.
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