State of emergency issued in New York as heavy rain inundates the city

Millions of Americans are experiencing heavy rains and flooding across the Northeast.

The Greater New York City area is currently in the bullseye, as remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia brought heavy rain causing intense floods through the city.

The flooding is becoming so intense that Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency covering New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

"Please take steps to stay safe and remember to never attempt to travel on flooded roads," said Hochul.

By 9:45 am, New York City areas had exceeded 4 inches of rain, and Brooklyn recorded highest totals of 6.23 and 4.85 inches.

The John F. Kennedy Airport and La Guardia Airport both stated that the weather conditions caused some flight disruptions. JFK received about 4.22 inches of rain, and La Guardia about 3.3 inches.

A flood watch is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for the entire tri-state region. The National Weather Service predicts substantial rainfall and said there is the potential for even greater accumulations exceeding 5 inches in certain areas.

“Ahead of this storm we deployed thousands of State personnel and I have directed all State agencies to provide all necessary resources to address this extreme weather event. It is critical that all New Yorkers take all necessary precautions and avoid flooded roads, which are some of the most dangerous places during flash floods,” said Hochul.

Given the design of the subway system, rainwater is always bound to infiltrate the system, inevitably affecting its infrastructure.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Friday morning that that the extreme rainfall severely disrupted service across its network.

"Please stay home if you don't need to travel. If you must head out, use extra caution and check the service status for your line at http://mta.info before you go. Stay safe, New York," MTA posted on social media.

The flood threat on Friday affects approximately 25 million people in the Northeast, from Philadelphia all the way up through Boston.

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