On August 22, Tropical Depression Henri dumped 1.94 inches on Central Park between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., breaking the record for the most rain in an hour in New York City. Ida bested that record just 11 days later, dropping three inches of rain between 8:51 and 9:51 p.m. on Wednesday night. The intense downpour caused flooding throughout the city, as well as the first flash-flood emergency* ever to be issued in New York City.
– Matt Stieb writing in Intelligencer
*Emergency means the flooding poses an imminent, ongoing severe threat to life, and catastrophic damage.
Scenes from a disaster movie (only, it’s real) in the subway stations (before service on the subway system was completely suspended). The L Train coming into the Jefferson Street station in Bushwick (Brooklyn) with water just cascading onto the rails. Train stops. Passenger jumps out onto the platform, getting completely drenched (far right). [Stills from a video clip posted by Alex Etling @AlexEtling on Twitter]The platform is flooded. The doors close. The train departs. [Stills from a video clip posted by Alex Etling @AlexEtling on Twitter]The empty Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York City is soaked and the court is under water. No tennis at the US Open tonight. [Photo: dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images]
This is in Brooklyn, as well. That looks like at least 12 inches of water on the street surface. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chiding people that order food delivery during a flash flood emergency. (Grubhub is at fault as well. Hopefully the delivery person will be given an appropriately generous tip).
