Heavy rains could easily flood New York City subway stations, and riders are being asked to travel with care.
The sewers that serve the nation’s busiest mass transit service are built to handle no more than 1.75 inches of water per hour.
It was just two weeks ago when wild scenes illustrated how fast subway tunnels and platforms can fill with water.
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for much of New York City, telling residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island to be careful on the way home this evening.
Until at least 6:15 p.m., New York City can expect heavy rain, 1 to 3 inches, that could cause flooding of highways, streets, underpasses and low-lying spots with poor drainage.
More specifically, the NWS told anyone in a basement to move to higher ground and urged drivers to steer clear of areas where water has covered the roadway.
Residents of southeast Pennsylvania and their New Jersey and Delaware neighbors braced for storms that could be bring flooding and even isolated tornadoes.
“Flash floods and thunderstorms are expected to impact our region this afternoon into tonight,” according to power supplier PECO, warning local residents to never drive through flooded roads and to avoid downed trees and power lines.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to declare a state of emergency for much of metropolitan New York City, with heavy rains and flash floods expected to drench the region this afternoon and Friday morning.
New York, Bronx, Delaware, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties are expected to be a part of this emergency declaration.
“I am urging all New Yorkers to stay vigilant, stay informed, and use caution as we expect excessive rainfall with the potential for flash flooding,” Hochul said in a statement.
“State agencies are on standby for heavy downpours and localized flooding and will be monitoring the situation in real-time to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers in the path of the storm.”
It’s the bottom of the fifth with the Bronx Bombers up 7-4 on the Tampa Bay Rays and the Yankee Stadium tarp taking center stage right now.
It’s hard to imagine how this game could continue.
Though with the home team up and visitors having had five turns to hit, the game would be official.
Massive swaths of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic braced for torrential downpours, strong winds and flash foods going into rush hour and throughout the night.
About 48 million reside in areas under flood warnings, with some parts of the region set to endure up to 1 to 3 inches of rain per hour.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 8 p.m. from northern Virginia to New York City, with scattered high, damaging winds up to 65 mph and hail that could be more than an inch in diameter.
