NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Heavy rain was drenching the New York City area Friday, prompting a cascade of flood advisories and a state of emergency in parts of New York State as flooding wreaked havoc on roads and mass transit.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley "due to the extreme rainfall we're seeing throughout the region."
A flash flood warning was extended until 12:30 p.m. for Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The Bronx and Staten Island were also under flash flood warnings Friday morning as were various counties, including but not limited to Nassau, Hudson, Bergen, Westchester, Rockland and Fairfield.
Various other flood alerts are also in effect, including a flood watch for the entire New York area until 6 a.m. Saturday and a coastal flood advisory at the Jersey Shore.
The rain was having major impacts on mass transit, with a dozen lines suspended or partially suspended due to rainfall and flooding, especially in Brooklyn. "Subway and Metro-North service is severely disrupted due to heavy rain and flooding," the MTA warned. "Please stay home if you don't need to travel."
The rain was coming down hard and fast, at 1 to 2 inches an hour in some areas.
Over 6 inches of rain had fallen in parts of New York City by 10 a.m. Up to 8 inches is possible in some areas, while a more general 2 to 4 inches is expected over a swath of the area, according to AccuWeather.
Govs. Kathy Hochul and Phil Murphy directed agencies in their states to coordinate with local municipalities and prepare to respond to flooding.
NYC Emergency Management issued a travel advisory until Saturday morning, with widespread travel impacts anticipated. The department urged New Yorkers living in basement apartments to prepare to move to higher ground.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber warned of potential impacts to the subway and commuter rails but said the agency "will be running" as usual.
The heavy rain is being caused by an area of low pressure east of the Carolinas that's sending tropical rains into the New York region.
Downpours will pass over the area throughout the day Friday, flooding streets, highways and sidewalks, and bringing the risk of flash flooding to low-lying areas. It will otherwise be breezy and chilly with a high of 63 degrees and RealFeels in the low 50s on Friday night.
Saturday will start rainy but skies may brighten later in the day. The high will be 65.
Sunday and Monday will be much more pleasant, with sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper 70s to start October.