New York’s National Weather Service (NWS) bureau issued a flash flood watch on Sunday, Oct. 24, for Southeast New York, including Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Northeast Suffolk, Northern Nassau, Northern Queens, Northern Westchester, Northwest Suffolk, Orange, Putnam, Richmond (Staten Island), Rockland, Southeast Suffolk, Southern Nassau, Southern Queens, Southern Westchester and Southwest Suffolk counties, effective Monday, Oct. 25 through Tuesday, Oct. 26.

An identical flash flood watch has also been issued for the Tri State Area.

From Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon, a rapidly developing low pressure system south of Long Island will
likely produce heavy rainfall across the region. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches, with higher amounts in some local areas, are possible. Rainfall rates may exceed one inch per hour at times. Heavy rain may produce areas of flash flooding.

New Yorkers are requested to monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.

New York City later issued a Citywide alert on Sunday, regarding the potential for flash flooding in the coming days. Details are attached.

On Monday, citing the latest NWS forecast, the Mayor’s Office for Community Affairs and the New York City Emergency Management Department (EMS) issued a similar flash flood watch alert effective from 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, through 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, along with a travel advisory.

According to the latest forecast as of Monday afternoon, light to moderate rain is expected citywide Monday evening through Tuesday evening with an expected rainfall rate of 0.25 inch to 0.5 inch per hour, and a maximum rainfall rate of up to 1 inch per hour. A few periods of heavy rainfall are likely between 12 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday which could impact both the morning and evening commutes.

Winds are expected to be 20 mph to 30 mph and winds gusts of up to 40 mph are expected Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday evening. Lingering showers are possible through Wednesday morning. A total of 2 inches to 4 inches of rain is expected with higher amounts possible in local areas.

EMS officials said they will activate the City’s virtual Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Monday evening with City, State, and private partners to coordinate the response to the storm. They said EMS is prepared, and will monitor the storm and rapidly respond to any potential impacts throughout the city.

EMS incoming acting commissioner, Andrew D’Amora said the weather over the next day or so may cause flooding in the city, including on highways, streets, underpasses, as well as other poor drainage or low-lying spots. “New Yorkers should give themselves additional travel time and take the appropriate precautions if they must move about the city during the storm,” he said.

EMS Safety Tips for New Yorkers 

• If you live in a basement apartment, be prepared to move to a higher floor during periods of heavy rain.
• If you live in a flood-prone area, keep materials such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber on hand to help protect your home.
• If you have a disability or access or functional need, make sure your plan addresses how your needs may affect your ability to evacuate, shelter in place, or communicate with emergency workers. Arrange help from family, friends, or service providers if you will need assistance.
• Exercise caution when traveling. Do not drive your vehicle or walk into areas where water covers the roadway as the water depth may be too great to allow you to cross safely. Use mass transit if possible.
• When outside, avoid walking and driving through flooded areas. As few as six inches of moving water can knock a person over. Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control and possible stalling. One or two feet of water can carry away a vehicle.
• Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters. Avoid flooded subway stations.
• If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that tree limbs, leaves, or water can cover downed wires from view. Always stay away from downed power lines because they could be live.
• Strong winds can bring down trees and power lines and can turn unsecured objects into dangerous projectiles. They can also cause power outages. To prepare for these hazards, New Yorkers should:
• Check the area immediately surrounding your home for unsecured objects or potentially dangerous conditions. Tree limbs, garbage cans, yard debris, or other materials that can be moved by the wind are potential projectiles aimed at your home or parked vehicle.
• Bring inside loose, lightweight objects such as lawn furniture, potted plants, garbage cans, garden tools and toys.
• Report downed wires immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you are in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.

Power Outages 

• To prepare for a possible power outage, charge cell phone batteries, gather supplies, and turn your refrigerator and freezer to a colder setting. If you lose power, items that need refrigeration will stay cooler for longer.
• Make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are working. Keep extra batteries.
• If you lose power and have a disability, access and functional needs or use life-sustaining equipment (LSE) and need immediate assistance, dial 911.
• Do not use generators indoors.
• Check on friends, relatives, and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities, access and functional needs, or health conditions. Help them to prepare, if needed.

Agency Actions 

• EMS officials said they are working closely with NWS and its third-party forecasting service to monitor the storm’s track to determine any potential impacts to New York City.
• They said they have activated the City’s Flash Flood Emergency Plan and will activate the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) beginning Monday evening at 8 p.m.
• EMS officials said they are hosting daily interagency conference calls with agency partners to coordinate the City’s preparation for the storm.
• They said they are in contact with elected officials and community partners.
• They said Notify NYC, the City’s official emergency communications program, will issue emergency alerts and updates to its subscribers throughout the event.
• EMS officials said they are issuing Advance Warning System (AWS) messages to service providers to encourage their clients to prepare for the incoming weather. The AWS message is disseminated to more than 1,400 local nonprofits and organizations that work with people with disabilities and access and functional needs.
• EMS officials said the New York City Community Emergency Response Team (NYC CERT) members will clean debris from catch basins across the city.
• They said the City’s Downed Tree Task Force and Tow Truck Task Force have been placed on alert.
• They also said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) have crews cleaning debris on basins and are canvassing arterial highways for debris, inspecting all known flood locations and cleaning as required.
• They said DOT crews surveyed roadways in the city and will continue to do so throughout the night.
• EMS officials said the NYPD and FDNY will monitor roadway and neighborhood conditions.

Stay Informed 

Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels including Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies.

New Yorkers can sign up for Notify NYC to receive free emergency alerts and updates in their preferred language by visiting  NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, calling 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115), following @NotifyNYC on Twitter, or getting the free Notify NYC mobile application for your Apple or Android device.

In addition, the NYC Small Business Services Department (SBS) issued the following tips on Monday to business owners to help protect their business and finances from flooding:

1. Take photos of your business’ important belongings to help expedite insurance claims
2. Put copies of important documents in a waterproof container or save electronically
3. Protect essential equipment and move valuable inventory from the basement to the upper floors to prevent water damage
4. Get flood insurance or review your current policy to ensure that it is up-to-date

Visit http://FloodHelpNY/small-business to learn more.

SBS officials said they also provide immediate assistance to businesses during a real-time emergency. Call (212) 618-8810, if needed. They said they will be available to help in the following ways:

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.