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Heavy rains expected in NYC, upstate Friday night into Saturday
By
Michelle Bocanegra
and
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 6, 2023
Modified Oct 6, 2023
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By
Michelle Bocanegra
and
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 6, 2023
Modified Oct 6, 2023
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Heavy rains are expected to return to the New York City area overnight Friday into Saturday, a week after historic levels of rainfall doused parts of the region, according to the National Weather Service.
The broader region is expected to get between half an inch to 1.5 inches of rainfall through Saturday night as a cold front moves in, though some areas could get as much as 5 inches, officials said. That doesn’t come close to last week's totals, when some areas got close to 9 inches over a 24-hour period, but meteorologists warn there could be flooding.
“It’s possible that some areas may see two — perhaps even as high as even 3 inches,” NWS meteorologist Dominic Ramunni said Friday. “With the recent wet weather we’ve been dealing with here in the last couple of weeks, it’s not going to take much more to cause some of those nuisance flooding issues.”
Urban centers and areas with poor drainage could be vulnerable, especially given the substantial amount of rainfall over the last few weeks.
Though the rate of rainfall does not pose a widespread risk of flooding, some parts of the region could see rates of up to an inch and a half of rain per hour — bringing the risk of possible flash floods, Ramunni said.
“We’re not anticipating a widespread flood concern like we saw last Friday, where we did see localized areas pick up two, as much as 3 inches in a single hour,” Ramunni said. “Obviously that amount of water just doesn’t have anywhere to go, especially when you’re falling onto the concrete jungle.”
At a press conference on Friday, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, who assumes the role of acting mayor when Eric Adams is out of town, urged New Yorkers to stay off the roads, to use public transportation, and get to higher ground if they live in flood prone areas or basement apartments. She said the risk of floods was heightened because the ground was still holding water from last week.
“Every single one of our agencies has an emergency plan and we are executing those plans,” said Wright. “We are ready and you should be as well.”
Wright was flanked by officials from various city agencies, including the FDNY, Department of Transportation, and Office of Emergency Management.
Notably absent from the press conference was Mayor Eric Adams, who was out of town for a trip to several countries in Latin America. He received criticism for a flatfooted response to last week’s storm.
Ramunni at the National Weather Service said the city and some of its surrounding areas — from northeast New Jersey to parts of Westchester and Rockland counties — are “most at risk” for potential flooding, should heavier downpours hit.
“Not everyone’s going to see it of course, but those that do — things could escalate rather quickly,” Ramunni said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Capital region, Central New York, Long Island, the Mid-Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, and North Country regions could receive between 3 and 5 inches of rain.
“I urge New Yorkers to monitor the weather this weekend but take steps now to prepare for heavy rain and flash flooding,” she said in a statement. “State agencies will be standing ready throughout the storm to assist local governments as needed.”
Over in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy also warned of potential floods.
"We are anticipating heavy rain and localized flooding beginning tonight and possibly continuing through the weekend, especially in Northeast NJ, including Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, and Essex Counties," Murphy said on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
The rain is expected to taper off around 9 p.m. on Saturday, leading into a dry forecast for Sunday.
This story has been updated with additional information and comment from First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
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Health and Science
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Kathy Hochul
Michelle Bocanegra
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Catalina Gonella
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