Summary

  • Torrential rain and flash flooding has brought New York City to a near-standstill and Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a state of emergency to release funds

  • A flood watch is in effect for 23 million people across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut until 06:00 local time on Saturday

  • More than three inches of rain has been recorded and another three to seven inches are expected today

  • “This is a dangerous weather condition and it is not over,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Friday morning, as New Yorkers struggle to commute amid roads and subway closures

  1. Thank you for tuning inpublished at 21:05 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Madeline Halpert
    Reporting from New York

    New York floodsImage source, Getty Images

    We're closing our live coverage of the floods in New York but you can follow our continued coverage here.

    Here's where things stand:

    • Many parts of New York City, including Brooklyn and lower Manhattan have seen as much as 6 inches (15.2 cm) of rain
    • The downpour has caused flooding that has shuttered restaurants, businesses and metro stations
    • New Jersey's governor has now also declared a state of emergency
    • Officials have said the city could see as much as 8 inches of rain by tonight, as rain is forecast for the rest of the day

    This page was brought to you by Brandon Livesay, Marianna Brady, Madeline Halpert, Chloe Kim, Barbara Tasch and Jamie Whitehead.

    Thanks for joining us.

  2. In pictures: Flash floods wreak havoc on New York Citypublished at 21:03 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    A man tries to pass a flooded street with his bicycle after a heavy rain in Williamsburg, New YorkImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A man tries to pass a flooded street with his bicycle after a heavy rain in Williamsburg

    A car drives along a flooded street in the Brooklyn borough of New York CityImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A car drives along a flooded street in the Brooklyn

    A general view of a flooded street in Williamsburg, New York on September 29Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Williamsburg has been badly hit by flash flooding

    A man clears debris from a drain in floodwater in Brooklyn on September 29Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A man attempts to clear debris from a drain in floodwater in Brooklyn

    A woman walks through rain and flood watersImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A woman walks through rain and flood waters, clutching a futile looking umbrella

  3. Across the Hudson river...published at 20:46 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    A car drives through a flooded street in Hoboken, NJImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A car drives through a flooded street in Hoboken, New Jersey

    New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that he is declaring a state of emergency effective at 15:00 local time.

    "We are experiencing heavy rainfall that is expected to accelerate in many parts of the state over the next several hours. Residents should stay off the roads, remain alert, and follow all safety protocols."

    In Hoboken, New Jersey to the west of Manhattan, residents have been urged to stay at home if possible. The city's Mayor Ravi Bhalla declared a state of emergency on Friday as the southern part of the city was inundated with flooding.

    Hoboken businesses have put up walls of sandbags in an effort to keep flooding out of stores.

    Because of its low lying topography the city has been known to flood whenever there is extreme rain. The southwestern part of Hoboken is less than 1m above sea-level.

  4. A tree falls in Brooklynpublished at 20:36 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    In the Prospect Heights neighbourhood of Brooklyn, a large tree was ripped from the cement sidewalk in the storm and fell over, crushing a car on the street.

    City officials have blocked off the area to prevent any more danger to residents.

    A tree falls on a car in BrooklynImage source, Nicki Vleisides
    A tree smashes into a car in BrooklynImage source, Nicki Vleisides
  5. Senator vows to get federal money for flood clean uppublished at 20:28 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    A view from a flooded street in Brooklyn, New YorkImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A view from a flooded street in Brooklyn, New York

    Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority leader and senior senator from New York, vows to get federal help for New York.

    "We’re going to work to get all of the federal assistance we can to help New York," he says in a post on X, external, formerly known as Twitter.

    Schumer also urges everyone in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley to stay safe and follow emergency guidance.

  6. Why is basement flooding such an issue in New York?published at 20:16 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    A Brooklyn basement starts floodingImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A Brooklyn basement starts flooding

    Back in 2021, 11 people in the New York area died in basement apartments due to flooding from Hurricane Ida.

    An estimated 100,000 people live in New York City basements. Because many of the dwellings are illegal, they are not regulated by the city to maintain higher safety standards. Many of the residents are low income, people of colour.

    The Regional Plan Association, an independent non-profit civic organisation, examined vulnerable New York housing and found about 25% of buildings in the city are at risk of high intensity rainfall flooding.

    "With climate change accelerating, it is certain this will not be the last time flooding of this magnitude will occur," they wrote after the deaths in 2021.

  7. The wettest day on record for JFK Airportpublished at 19:54 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Madeline Halpert
    Reporting from New York City

    John F Kennedy International Airport has officially had its wettest day ever since record keeping began in 1948.

    More than 7.8 inches (19.8 cm) of rain has fallen at the airport since midnight, Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York, told the BBC.

    He added that it's the wettest day in the city since the remnants of Hurricane Ida came barreling through in 2021.

    That storm caused a number of deaths for those living in basement apartments that were flooded by heavy rain.

    Overall, based on rainfall in Central Park, it's the ninth wettest day in New York City history since records began in 1869, Ramunni said.

    “This amount of rain in this little amount of time is cause for concern," he said.

  8. Brooklyn Borough President angry at lack of warningspublished at 19:41 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso has called on both the Mayor of New York City and the State's Governor to update the processes used to notify New Yorkers about weather emergencies.

    Reynoso, who advises the NYC mayor on Brooklyn issues, says in a statement that those types of events are becoming increasingly frequent and more sudden and that faster notifications and clearer information is needed.

    "This morning's events have made it glaringly apparent that New York City and State must improve their processes for communicating with New Yorkers about sudden and extreme weather before it happens," Reynoso says.

    "The climate catastrophe is here, and we must act accordingly," he adds.

  9. Major road under waterpublished at 19:31 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    New York City Department of Environmental Protection workers attempt to clear blocked drains at the FDR Drive in Manhattan near the Williamsburg bridgeImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    New York City Department of Environmental Protection workers attempt to clear blocked drains at the FDR Drive in Manhattan near the Williamsburg bridge

    A number of cars that attempted to make it through the flood waters got stuck on the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive.

    New York City Department of Environmental Protection workers were on the scene attempting to clear blocked drains.

    The FDR Drive, which stretches along the eastern side of Manhattan, is normally an extremely busy road.

    In 2019 it had an average number of daily users ranging from about 50,000 to 165,000, depending on the stretch of the parkway, according to data from New York State's Department of Transportation.

    A general view shows cars stranded in floodwater on the FDR highway in Manhattan, New York on September 29, 2023Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A general view shows cars stranded in floodwater on the FDR highway in Manhattan

    A general view shows cars stranded in floodwater on the FDR highway in Manhattan, New York on September 29, 2023Image source, Getty Images
    A police officer from the NYPD Highway Patrol looks on near cars stuck in a flooded motorway at the FDR Drive in Manhattan near the Williamsburg bridge, in New York CityImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A police officer from the NYPD Highway Patrol looks on near cars stuck in a flooded motorway at the FDR Drive

  10. WATCH: Person hangs out of submerged carpublished at 19:17 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Media caption,

    Videos show New York inundated by flooding

  11. New Yorkers brave the rainpublished at 19:11 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Madeline Halpert
    Reporting from New York City

    New York park in the rain

    Walking around Brooklyn on what would typically be a calm Friday morning, I saw several streets flooded with water and key subway stations blocked off as the rain continued to pour down.

    That didn't seem to be deterring too many New Yorkers, who braced the rain with jackets and umbrellas that occasionally flew away with the strong winds.

    At one point, New York residents seemed to catch a brief reprieve as the rains began to slow, but on my walk back home again, the downpour started once again and people began to seek shelter.

  12. Chaos in the Big Apple and more rain is on the waypublished at 19:01 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Brandon Livesay
    Reporting from New York City

    A flooded street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A flooded street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

    It's been absolutely bucketing down for the past 30 minutes here in Brooklyn. The severe weather let up very briefly just before midday, but it's well and truly back.

    The rain is falling in thick sheets that seems to hit you from above and all sides if you are unlucky enough to be outside.

    My phone has been buzzing all morning with warning alerts saying to be wary of flash floods and to avoid going outdoors. “This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation,” one alert read.

    Though it's known as the city that never sleeps, today New York has been ground to a halt with multiple subway lines out of action and major roads cut off by floods.

    Earlier, we heard from Mayor Eric Adams as he declared a state of emergency for the city of more than eight million people.

    And there's a flood watch until Saturday morning for the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) impacting some 23 million people.

    We've been told to expect as much as seven more inches (17cm) of rain today, which is bad news for low-lying neighbourhoods and anyone who lives in a basement apartment.

  13. The forecast for the New York areapublished at 18:45 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Rainfall forecast for New York CityImage source, .
  14. Business owner says flood damage will cost tens of thousandspublished at 18:14 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Nada Tawfik
    Reporting from New York City

    Kelly Hayes who owns the Gowanus Gardens Bar and Kitchen
    Image caption,

    Kelly Hayes, who owns the Gowanus Gardens Bar and Kitchen

    I’m in Gowanus, Brooklyn where a flood flash warning is in effect until at least 14:30 local time.

    The flood sensor on Carroll Street showed the waters reached as high as 37 inches (93cm).

    I met Kelly Hayes, who owns the Gowanus Gardens Bar and Kitchen.

    She gets emotional as she tells me that the damage will cost her between $25,000 and $30,000 (£20,500-$24,500).

    Her basement is completely flooded. The store owner has lost freezers, her hot water heater, and merchandise.

    Kelly says she can’t catch a break between Covid and this flooding, the worst here yet. She wonders if it is sustainable to be in this location, especially when flood insurance isn’t even an option.

  15. WATCH: Commuters face flooded streetspublished at 17:54 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Media caption,

    Commuters face flooded streets

  16. Wettest September in New York City since 1882published at 17:39 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    As of Friday morning at 11:00 ET, 13.74 inches (34.9 cm) of rain had fallen in New York City over the last month.

    That makes it the second-wettest September in 140 years, according to data from the National Weather Service.

    The only time the city experienced a wetter September was in 1882, when 16.85 inches (42.8 cm) fell.

    The driest September on record was two years after that, in 1884 when only 0.21 inches (0.5 cm) of rain fell the entire month.

  17. In photos: Flooding overwhelms the New York areapublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    People in Westchester County grip a wall as they try to walk through flood waterImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    People in Westchester County grip a wall as they try to walk through flood water

    A man pushes a car through the Red Hook neighbourhood of BrooklynImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A man pushes a car through the Red Hook neighbourhood of Brooklyn

    A car sits in rising flood waters in Westchester County, a New York City suburbImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    A car sits in rising flood waters in Westchester County

    A man and a car stand in rising flood water in Red Hook, BrooklynImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A man and a car stand in rising flood water in Red Hook, Brooklyn

  18. Sewers weren't designed to cope with this much rainpublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    A police officer from the NYPD Highway Patrol looks to motorists drive through a flooded streetImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Cars travel through floodwaters near the iconic Williamsburg Bridge.

    Back to the mayor’s virtual briefing now, where the city's chief climate officer Rohit Aggarwala explains how fast the rain came.

    “The storm picked up significantly after 7am”, he says, “and between 8 and 9am, the Brooklyn Nay Yard received 2.58 inches of rain in one hour.”

    He goes on to say New York’s sewage system was designed for 1.75 inches of rain an hour.

    “So it’s no surprise that part of Brooklyn have borne the brunt of this.”

  19. People rescued from flooded basementspublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    We've been hearing from New York City authorities about the current situation, and they have just confirmed there have been no deaths or critical injuries recorded today.

    There have been six rescues from flooded basements so far.

    Schools have not been closed, and authorities say students are safe.

  20. Rising waters hit iconic New York City parkpublished at 17:06 British Summer Time 29 September 2023

    Madeline Halpert
    Reporting from New York

    Prospect Park flooded

    Hello from Prospect Park in Brooklyn, where a night of heavy rain has left water piling up so high it has completely blocked off walkways.

    Huge swaths of the park that are normally covered by thick green grass have become a series of mini ponds.

    As of now, the rain is showing no signs of letting up.