New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Saturday (Sep 30) warned that the heavy downpour which led to flash flooding in New York City is the “new normal” because of the effects of climate change.
“And of course, we know this is a result of climate change. This is, unfortunately, what we have to expect as the new normal. It makes us be more prepared than ever before. And it requires us to focus on resiliency, to head off the horrific impacts that could be there if we’re not ready for the next storm,” the governor said.
“This was the kind of rain that was once unimaginable and called them ‘once-in-a-century storms’. But this is the third time since I was sworn in two years ago I’ve had a ‘once-in-a-century storm’. This includes the historic flooding we had in the Hudson Valley this summer, which was deemed a 1000-year flooding event,” he added.
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The statement was made by the governor as the city started to dry out after experiencing one of its wettest days ever.
Some parts of the United States’ most populous city received eight inches of rain which was enough to let a sea lion swim briefly out from the confines of her enclosure at the Central Park Zoo.
Although the risk of flooding receded in the city by midday Saturday, a municipal hospital, located in the borough of Brooklyn, stated that all patients and staff would be evacuated after they experienced a power failure on Friday.
The hospital officials said that NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull was using power backup after there was a power outage in their neighbourhood on Friday but for repair power needed to be entirely shut off for several days.
Historic floods in New York
So, 120 patients were transferred by the hospital to other hospitals on Saturday in an eight-hour-long process. Some streets turned into rivers due to intense rainfall, as cars and buses remained stranded for hours and some commuter rail lines and subway were forced to shut down.
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Flights were either cancelled or delayed, and LaGuardia Airport’s one terminal was evacuated.
“This event was historic in some areas, was record-shattering, and it is the most rain ever recorded in a single day at a place like JFK, ever. Not just this summer, not this year, but ever. And the record is still coming in. We’re still monitoring. The rain is still falling,” the governor stated.
A state of emergency, which permits faster allocation of resources to handle a crisis, will continue to remain in effect for the coming six days, said Hochul. The officials did not report any fatalities as a result of the storm.
The officials briefed US President Joe Biden on the flooding on Friday and Saturday, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency made all preparations to assist if required, according to the White House.
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