What to Know
- A travel advisory has been issued by the New York City Emergency Management Department for all day Friday and Saturday morning with the threat of flooding.
- The city activated a flash flood plan and will have crews checking catch basins and roads in flood prone areas.
- City officials are warning residents to allow extra travel time and to use public transportation if they need to go out.
NYC leaders are warning of widespread flooding conditions and urging residents to be careful, especially during their commutes, as the heavy rain is expected to have dramatic impacts throughout the area.
The New York City Emergency Management Department issued a travel advisory for all day Friday and for Saturday morning.
“All New Yorkers need to exercise caution," NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said 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.”
A long list of subway lines were suspended due to flooding on the tracks. The MTA said service system-wide would be "extremely limited" throughout the day.
For latest mass transit and roads updates, click here.
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Multiple roads were flooded and became impassable, forcing closures on major thoroughfares like the FDR Drive and the Central Park transverses in Manhattan. Air travel was also impacted, as Terminal A at LaGuardia Airport was closed after the building was flooded with inches of water. Travelers were seen walking through inches of water just feet right at the gates for Frontier Airlines.
The city activated a flash flood plan and will have crews checking catch basins and roads in flood prone areas.
"Our emergency response teams are standing by to address any issues that may arise and while we are working closely with them to minimize disruptions, we urge all New Yorkers to take necessary precautions, especially during the morning commute," said Mayor Eric Adams.
The travel advisory warns of possible flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying areas, as well as streets in NYC. The city released a list of safety tips:
- Allow for extra travel time. New Yorkers are urged to use public transportation.
- If you must drive, drive slowly. Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible.
- If you live in a basement apartment in a flood prone area, prepare to move to higher ground.
- Do not drive into flooded streets or enter flooded subway stations.
- Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities, access and functional needs, or health conditions. Help them to prepare if needed.
- Stay informed. Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels, including Notify NYC. Sign up for emergency notifications at NYC.gov/NotifyNYC or call 311. You can also follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.
