In the Brooklyn neighborhood, a man tries to clean a pipe, in New York, September 29, 2023. JAKE OFFENHARTZ / AP
Fifteen centimeters of water fell on Manhattan on Friday, September 29, while JFK airport was submerged by twenty centimeters, a record since 1948. New York was no longer used to such a deluge. An event sufficiently brutal for the flash flood warning system to be activated. “This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing a flooded area or are under an evacuation order,” were able to read New Yorkers on their cell phones. No casualties were recorded during this rainy episode, which required three rescue operations in basements and fifteen in cars, detailed Mayor Eric Adams.
In the Brooklyn neighborhood of New York on September 29, 2023. ED JONES / AFP
However, New York – which experienced the wettest September in over a century – is not equipped to receive torrential rains in these times of climate change. Its sewage system is not calibrated to absorb such rainfall. “All drainage systems have their limits and New York City’s drainage system cannot absorb more than 1.7 inches of rain per hour. Unfortunately for many New Yorkers, the storm that flooded the area Friday brought more than 2 inches of rain between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.summarized the New York Times. The 12,000 kilometers of the water drainage system have become clogged. “When it’s flooded that much, the water flows back.”said Dave Balkan, manager of a Queens sewer company.
This backflow of water left streets flooded, cars flooded, expressways blocked and the metro paralyzed. The Central Park Zoo was submerged to the point that a sea lion escaped from its tank. Flights were delayed for several hours at the city’s airports and one of the terminals at La Guardia airport even had to temporarily close. The high tide when the rains fell made the flooding worse. The spectacular images went around the planet.
Poor neighborhoods most affected
“The sad reality is that our climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can respond”declared to New York Times Rohit Aggarwala, head of the city’s Environmental Protection Department. New York had already experienced a serious crisis in 2021, when Hurricane Ida left 11 dead, people drowned in basement homes, often rented and inhabited illegally, in the Queens district.
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2023-09-30 07:00:00
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