Record Flooding Stops Subways in New York City!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Nearly stationary storms dropped record rainfall in portions of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut late Monday. The sudden deluge caused serious flash flooding in the NYC metro, halting traffic both above and below ground. At least two people lost their lives when their car was swept off the road in Plainfield, NJ.

 

 

 

Slow-moving storms erupted first in the NYC suburbs mid-afternoon Monday before converging on the city early in the evening. The storms produced torrential rainfall rates up to 2″/hr (50 mm/hr), overwhelming drainage systems across the region. Central Park in Manhattan shattered a daily record with 2.64″ (67 mm). Most of this fell between 7-8 pm, the second-wettest hour ever recorded at that station. Other nearby stations saw as much as 3-6 inches (150 mm).

 

 

Runoff quickly covered roads and highways with 1-2 feet of water, forcing numerous road and highway closures. Hundreds of emergency calls were placed for water rescues from stranded cars. Subway lines were shut down as the runoff inundated platforms and tracks (see video above). Residents of basement apartments in NYC had to deal with sudden waist-deep water. Protocol changes following the tragic basement drownings in September 2021 seem to have helped avoid similar injuries and deaths in this case, fortunately. Lead photo courtesy MTA’s Marc Hermann.

 

Torrential Rainfall Leads to Sudden Flash Flood, Killing Dozens in Texas

Written by Team Morecast

 

A stationary storm dropped up to a foot of rain in a matter of hours overnight Thursday in central Texas. Runoff from these rains forced the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet (7 m) in approximately 45 minutes (see river gage data below). Communities and camps along the river were inundated too quickly for an evacuation to be organized. Hundreds of people were caught and swept away by the the floodwaters. Unfortunately two dozen fatalities have been reported with dozens more still missing.

 

 

 

Much of the worst flooding has occurred near Kerrville, Texas, where the Guadalupe River rose to its second-highest peak on record. Hundreds of first responders have been called to the scene from across the state, including at least 14 search-and-rescue helicopters. Many of those still missing were attending Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp. Some of the campers and staff have been pulled from cars, unmoored structures, even clinging to trees above the floodwaters, but 23 are still unaccounted for as of Friday night.