Record Flooding in NYC: State of Emergency Called due to Severe Flooding in

On September 29th, New Yorkers woke up to heavy rainfall, and dark skies. However, this gloomy Friday wasn’t your typical rainy day in New York. This rainfall broke city records, caused severe flash flooding, as well as major delays and shut downs all over the city. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency, and notifications were sent to phones, warning people to not travel. She claimed it was a “dangerous and life-threatening situation,” causing panic and concern for people who still had to travel home from work and school. 

Students in NYC schools began to worry, as subway lines were shut down or suspended due to flooding. Trains such as the N, Q, R, and B became completely shut down, and other lines such as the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, E, D, F, M, and Q were partly suspended. Others had major delays. Ubers were also not driving in certain neighborhoods, and some buses were suspended.

The talk of the heavy rain and suspended trains spread through the hallways of HSES as kids began to worry about their commute home. “The 5 and 6 trains which go to my house were not running and I was stranded in Queens” States Milo, a Sophomore at HSES.

“I live in Brooklyn and every single one of my trains was out of service. I didn’t get home till 5 pm the next day. I ended up staying with a friend in Manhattan.” (Junior at HSES)

Often during heavy rain, flood warnings are issued but severe flooding like this rarely occurs. “I have gotten flood warnings that have never resulted in actual floods, so the fact that people have gotten false flood warnings, made them not take it seriously. It’s like the boy who cried wolf” (Junior at HSES)

The train suspensions caused major inconvenience for New Yorkers, and complaints and frustration were targeted at Mayor Eric Adams for the lack of preparation and communication. Weather officials knew even before Friday, how bad the storm could get, and were aware that severe flash flooding would occur. The Mayor didn’t make any comments until midday, when children were already in school, even though the local government was aware of these warnings way before any announcements were made. 

During an interview Friday night, Mayor Adams stated “anyone who was caught off guard must have been living under a rock,” causing even more backlash and frustration for New Yorkers. They saw the Mayor's response as very insensitive, and argued how information was not communicated early enough. All in all, people can conclude the city did a bad job preparing, and apologizing for their lack of organization.