Governor Kathy Hochul of New York City issued a warning on Saturday, emphasizing that the torrential downpours leading to flash flooding in the city on Friday are indicative of a "new normal" brought about by the consequences of climate change. The city commenced its recovery after experiencing one of the rainiest days in its history.
In certain areas of the most populous city in the United States, nearly eight inches (approximately 20 cm) of rainfall was recorded, a quantity substantial enough to briefly allow a sea lion at the Central Park Zoo to venture outside her pool enclosure.
While the flood risk in the city had diminished by midday on Saturday, a municipal hospital located in Brooklyn announced plans to evacuate all patients and staff in the wake of a power outage on Friday.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull had transitioned to backup power following the neighborhood-wide power failure on Friday. However, the necessary repairs entail a complete power shutdown for several days, as conveyed by hospital authorities. The process of transferring 120 patients to other hospitals was expected to take approximately eight hours on Saturday.
The extraordinary rainfall transformed certain streets into flowing rivers, causing buses and cars to become stranded for extended periods. It also necessitated the temporary closure of some subway and commuter rail lines. Flight operations were disrupted, with delays and cancellations reported, and one terminal at LaGuardia Airport had to be evacuated.
Governor Hochul remarked, "Regrettably, this is what we must anticipate as the new normal."
A state of emergency, which facilitates the expedited allocation of resources for crisis management, will remain in effect for the next six days, as stated by Hochul. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported as a result of the storm.
President Joe Biden received briefings on the flooding both on Friday and Saturday, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was prepared to offer assistance if deemed necessary, according to the White House.
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