A state of emergency has been declared in New York City as torrential rains flood streets and subway stations, and Brooklyn is getting some of the worst effects of the raging storm.
The downpour began on Thursday evening, and by Friday morning, as much of three inches of rain had already fallen in Kings County, with at least three to five additional inches expected by nightfall. Officials warned that flash flooding is possible in some areas as rain falls at rates of up to 2.5 inches per hour, and have advised New Yorkers to stay off the roads and seek higher ground if they live in basement apartments.
“Brooklyn is seeing some of the heaviest impacts of this rainstorm — all Brooklynites should be extremely careful right now,” Governor Kathy Hochul said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday morning.
Most subway service was cancelled in Brooklyn as rainwater covered the tracks. Photo by Susan de Vries
Flood maps showed up to 11 inches of flooding in some parts of Brooklyn on Friday morning as Brooklynites shared photos on social media of subway stations and major roadways filled with water.
The National Weather Service extended a Flash Flood Warning for Kings County through 12:45 p.m. on Friday, with a flood watch in effect for all of New York City through Saturday morning. The city’s Office of Emergency Management issued a travel advisory, urging New Yorkers to stay home on Friday if possible.
“All New Yorkers need to exercise caution,” said Zach Iscol, NYC Emergency Management commissioner, in a statement.”If you must travel, consider using public transportation and allow for extra travel time, and if you must drive, do not enter flooded roadways. If you live in a basement apartment, especially in a flood prone area, be prepared to move to higher ground.”
The Kings Highway B/Q station has been my home station for years.
Never have I seen literal pools of water from rainfall before. pic.twitter.com/FbVXm8fh4G
— Hunter Rabinowitz
(@HuntRabinowitz) September 29, 2023
Subway service is suspended on the 1, 2, 4, 5, G, C, and D trains in Brooklyn, with partial suspensions on the F, A, and L lines, according to the MTA. Even on lines still running on Friday, trains are heavily delayed and service is suspended at a number of stations. The agency urged New Yorkers to stay home if they could and check the MTA’s website for service information before heading out. Bus service is also “heavily disrupted.”
Police temporarily closed parts of the Belt Parkway and Prospect Expressway to traffic due to heavy flooding. Videos posted to social media showed vehicles stuck in deep water on the Prospect Expressway near Caton Avenue and at the Park Circle entrance.
Park Circle, Brooklyn entrance to the Prospect Expressway is completely flooded. Traffic at a standstill. I walked to/from school through rushing waters and 2 ft+ pools of water. This is not normal #nyc pic.twitter.com/7zGoleKk3a
— Pizza Trike (@PizzaTrike) September 29, 2023
Officials urged New Yorkers to stay home if possible and to drive slowly and carefully and avoid flooded roads and subway stations if travel is necessary. Live updates are available online via NotifyNYC, and New Yorkers can also sign up for live text and email alerts from NotifyNYC.
This is a breaking news story, and will be updated throughout the day. Check back for additional information.
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