New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to exercise extreme caution if traveling on Friday evening, Sept. 29, as more rain falls in the New York City area. It follows six to seven inches of rainfall since Thursday night across the city, as reported, with parts of New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley remaining under a flash flood warning. The latter indicates an imminent threat of fast-moving water that can make travel dangerous and threaten life and safety.

 

“Today, Mother Nature has shown us unprecedented rainfall in a matter of just 24 hours, with more than seven inches of rain in parts of Brooklyn and six inches of rain for other parts of New York City,” Hochul said during a joint Friday afternoon press conference with the MTA. “Our focus now is ensuring everyone gets home safe tonight and uses extreme caution when commuting this evening, as more rain is on the way.”

 

The governor and MTA CEO Janno Lieber announced on Friday afternoon that Metro-North Railroad will be able to restore limited service from Grand Central Terminal on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Lines. They also said the Harlem Line service will operate between Grand Central and Fleetwood. Hochul urged New Yorkers to take all necessary precautions on their commute home on Friday.

 

For his part, Lieber said, “I want to thank all the MTA employees who showed up today and will be working throughout the weekend to get us through the storm. They’ve unfortunately been getting a lot of practice for these situations in recent years, and they are rising to the occasion as always.”

 

The full press conference can be watched here:

MTA News Conference – 9/29/2023 Video courtesy of the MTA via YouTube

As reported, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for most of the New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley regions, and flash flood warnings are being issued as conditions change. Coastal flood advisories are also in effect.

 

As also reported, the MTA published its usual weekend service changes on Friday. However, a spokesperson said that due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions, these changes may finally be subject to cancellation, and they recommend checking the  MTA homepage  before heading out to get the latest information, or to sign up at MYmta and TrainTime for real-time alerts to get notified about service changes as they happen.

 

New York State Department of  Transportation is reporting the following highway closures as of 3:45 p.m. Friday:

Westchester County

• Hutchinson River Parkway at Exit 9A/B New Rochelle
• Hutchinson River Parkway between Exit 8 – Cross County Parkway and Bronx-Westchester County Line, New Rochelle
• Taconic State Parkway, between Stevens Ave and Cleveland St, Mount Pleasant
• Saw Mill River Parkway between Exit 4 – Cross County Parkway and start of Saw Mill River Parkway Bronx-Westchester County Line, Yonkers
• Saw Mill River Parkway Northbound, ramp from Exit 4A – Rumsey Rd, Yonkers, entrance ramp closed
• Saw Mill River Parkway between Exit 16 – Lawrence St and Exit 13 – Farragut Avenue, Greenburgh, Saw Mill River Parkway between I-287 Ramp and Exit 20 – I-87, Greenburgh
• Saw Mill River Parkway between Exit 23 – Old Saw Mill Road; CR 303 and Exit 26 – Taconic State Parkway, Greenburgh
• Saw Mill River Parkway ramps to Exit 27 – Marble Avenue, Mount Pleasant
• Saw Mill River Parkway Southbound, at Exit 33 – Readers Digest Road, Mount Kisco, exit ramp closed
• Bronx River Parkway, between City of Yonkers; City of New York Line and Exit – Sprain Brook Parkway, Yonkers
• Bronx River Parkway between Exit – Sprain Brook Parkway and Exit 22 – NY 119 – Tarrytown Road; NY 100 -Central Avenue, Yonkers
• Sprain Brook State Parkway between start of parkway and Exit – NY 100, Eastchester
• Sprain Brook State Parkway between Exit – Grasslands Road; NY 100C and Bradhurst Avenue, Greenburgh
• Cross County Parkway Eastbound, ramp to Exit 9 – Hutchinson River Parkway, Mount Vernon
• Cross County Parkway ramps to Exit 6; Bronx River Parkway S/B, Mount Vernon
• NY 9A at Old Country Rd, Greenburgh
• NY 9A south of West Main Street; NY 119; East Main Street, Greenburgh
• NY 9A at Ryder Rd, Ossining,
• NY 117 at Old House Lane, New Castle
• NY 35 east of Mark Meade Road, Lewisboro

 

Meanwhile, government officials said MTA crews are in the system pumping water from the track area to restore safe, reliable service on subways, Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road. Customers are encouraged to check new.mta.info for the latest service updates if they must travel, and to use caution while navigating the system. Customers should also sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. These alerts are also available via the MTA’s apps: MYmta and TrainTime.

Additionally, government officials said the Port Authority is monitoring weather conditions. Speed restrictions may be in effect at the bridges, as well as along roadways to and from the crossings. Passengers through the Port Authority’s facilities are encouraged to reach out to carriers and airlines directly for the latest information on delays and cancelations.

 

For the latest information about Port Authority facilities, check social media, sign up for PA alerts or download one of the PA mobile apps, including RidePATH which provides real-time updates and alerts for PATH service.

 

New York State Department of Transportation forces will continue to work 24/7 in affected areas until the storm has concluded, government officials said and until flooding has subsided, and the roads are safe for passage. Bridge inspection teams are currently on standby to assess any damaged roads or bridges in the wake of the storm.

 

Thruway Authority
Thruway Authority staff are actively responding to flooding and weather-related conditions and assisting neighboring communities impacted by flooding with ramp closures along the New England Thruway (I-95), I-87 and I-287 corridors in Westchester County. The Thruway Authority’s New York Division is fully staffed and will remain engaged in storm response for the duration of the event.

 

Department of Public Service

Officials said more than 2,600 customers in the downstate region are currently without power due to heavy rain. They said damage assessment, repair and restoration crews from the utility companies are working to minimize and repair any impacts to energy sector infrastructure, and the Department of Public Service is in direct contact with utility operations leadership and tracking utility response and restoration efforts.

They added that New York’s utilities have approximately 5,500 workers available to engage in damage assessment, response, repair, and restoration efforts across New York State for this event and agency staff will track utilities’ work throughout the event and ensure utilities shift appropriate staffing to regions that experience the greatest impact.

 

Flash Flooding Safety Tips

• Never attempt to drive on a flooded road. Turn around and go another way.
• If water begins to rise rapidly around you in your car, abandon the vehicle immediately.
• Do not underestimate the power of fast-moving water. Two feet of fast-moving flood water will float your car, and water moving at two miles per hour can sweep cars off a road or bridge.

 

For more information on personal preparedness and how to stay safe during severe weather, visit: https://www.dhses.ny.gov/safety-and-prevention.

 

For a complete listing of weather alerts and forecasts, residents are encouraged to visit the National Weather Service website at alerts.weather.gov. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for NY Alert, the State’s free emergency alert system, at alert.ny.gov. County-by-county emergency information can be pushed by text or email.