By Olivia Finer
During the past week, New York City has been hit with storms causing massive flooding on the streets and in the subways of the city. It was declared a state emergency and flash flood warnings were issued on Friday to all five bureaus. Record-breaking amounts of rainfall happened with John F. Kennedy receiving 8.65 inches of rain at nightfall, a record for rainfall within September. City residents shared on social media of vehicles driving through flooding, covering the base of the tires. Both trains and flights have been closed or delayed until the rain stops due to the heavy rainfall, trapping people within the city. New Yorkers are faced with the challenges of cleaning up what has been left from the storm and dealing with a troubling future for the city if these similar events keep occurring. Officials tell citizens to stay home with New York Major Eric Adams telling New Yorkers to stay home and that they ¨could possibly see 8 inches before the day is over¨ (ABC News). First responders have been called to reduce fifteen apartments due to flooding because they are at the basement level, along with community members checking in on other residents to ensure that everyone is safe with the harsh weather.
Social media has been a big contributor in showing what New Yorkers faced during the storm. Many videos show the high winds being pushed against citizens walking and causing their umbrellas to fold and turn inside out while moving through ankle-deep water. Other photos show drivers moving through the city and videos on the app Tik Tok show how Ubers were still able to get citizens home when the trains failed to work due to flooding in the subways. A major video that appeared was a drainage surrounded by water but continues to take water in. Information has been able to spread faster and alert many of the residents of the weather. Showing both the extreme results of the storm and helping residents of the city stay safe.
Along with the climate crisis with the increase in weather occurrences, New York City is also experiencing water problems with the weight of the buildings, causing the city to be in danger of flooding and sinking. It is estimated that each year, the city subsides 1-2mm on average but differs with some areas doubling the rate. The melting of the glaciers and the fact that the original landscape of New York was built on rivers and waterways put an influx of water within the premise of the city that is unable to be directed elsewhere. The ocean water in the Atlantic Ocean has risen by about 9in, or 22cm, since 1950 ̈ (The Guardian) causing an increase in flooding rates, especially during a storm. With the current climate events, it's estimated that storms are now going to be four times as frequent and will be facing more weather-related events in the future. With the extensive water inflicted, the soil has begun to become softer, making the buildings easier to sink. Tom Parsons, a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey spoke of how it's something ¨we've just got to keep in mind every time you build something there you push down the ground a little bit more¨ (The Guardian) in regards to pressure the building are putting on the soil. As the future progress and storm emerge, new information and data will be collected into what challenges New York will have to face. Home to 8 million people, the worsening climate crisis threatens the livelihoods of the residents of the city along with the infrastructure that has been built.
References
Milman, Oliver. ¨New York City is sinking due to the weight of its skyscrapers, new research finds¨. The
Guardian, Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies, 2023,
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/19/new-york-city-sinking-skyscrapers-climate-crisis.
Golembo, Max; Griffin, Melissa; Shapiro, Emily. ¨State of emergency declared in New York as flooding
inundated NYC.” ABC News, NBC Universal, 2023,
https://apple.news/A_GjAP_38SyaF6twWJHPFAw.