Photo courtesy of Jenn Buzzell on Flickr
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a coastal flood warning which is in effect until Friday, Dec. 23 at 1 p.m., and a wind advisory which is in effect until 10 p.m. on Friday.
Officials said two to three feet of flooding above ground level is expected in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline in The Bronx, Northwest Suffolk, Northern Queens and Northern Nassau counties from 8 a.m. on Friday.
Flier courtesy of the National Weather Service
As reported, a severe weather warning was issued by NWS, starting on Thursday, Dec. 22, when officials said there had been no changes to the hazards, but that forecast winds and wind gusts had increased across the whole area. They referred residents to weather.gov/nyc for more details.
[12:12am] Easterly gusts are starting to pick up at this hour. We expect these wind gusts to increase overnight to the mid to upper 40s mph to near 50 mph across eastern areas into Friday morning. Get your full forecast at https://t.co/wTqdsoEiL9 pic.twitter.com/zIxLXZpQdq
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) December 23, 2022
On Friday, NWS officials added, “There is potential for widespread moderate flooding of vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline, with up to 2 feet of inundation above ground level in low lying, vulnerable areas. This will result in numerous road closures and cause widespread flooding of low lying property including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes/businesses with basements near the waterfront.”
Officials said vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront would likely become flooded. “Flooding will also extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays,” they added.
The wind advisory remains in effect until Friday at 10 p.m. Officials said southeast to south winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Winds shift to the southwest Friday afternoon in portions of southern Connecticut, northeast New Jersey and southeast New York.
Widespread moderate to locally major coastal flooding is ongoing. Areas on the south side of Long Island are nearing their peak levels, whereas areas on the Long Island Sound will rise for the next few hours as we approach high tide in those areas. https://t.co/Gwn8xtRF6s pic.twitter.com/czZCPZ0x7M
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) December 23, 2022
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” officials said. “Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. A brief period of damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible just ahead of cold frontal passage late Friday morning into early Friday afternoon.”
Officials warned residents to use extra caution when driving, especially if driving a high profile vehicle and to secure outdoor objects.
Meanwhile, MTA Bridges and Tunnels has implemented a ban on empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks until 8 p.m. on Friday. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that it is also taking precautions to deliver safe and reliable service notwithstanding heavy rain, strong winds, and the risk of flooding into Friday evening.
The MTA reminds customers to stay alert for service updates by visiting new.mta.info, TrainTime app, or the MTA’s social media feeds as people begin to travel ahead of the holiday weekend.
There will be a drastic drop in temperatures this afternoon. If you go outdoors, wear dry, warm clothing and cover exposed skin. Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered. Wear a hat, hood, scarf, and gloves. https://t.co/MWIKYt1MmU
— NYC Emergency Management (@nycemergencymgt) December 23, 2022
MTA Bridges and Tunnels
MTA Bridges and Tunnels has banned empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks from 8 p.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Friday. Pedestrian walkways at the Cross Bay Bridge and Marine Parkway Bridge will be closed during this same time period; pedestrian walkways at the RFK Bridge and Henry Hudson Bridge may close depending on weather conditions.
Bridges and Tunnels personnel are checking all flood-prone locations for debris and will continue to monitor throughout the storm. Personnel will also monitor wind conditions and implement appropriate traffic or speed restrictions, if necessary, based on conditions. Maintenance teams are on standby throughout the storm to respond to any incidents or emergencies.
New York City Subway
New York City Transit is strategically pre-positioning weather response teams, including track and signal specialists, at key locations to respond to any weather-related events that may occur. Crews are preparing and fueling three trains capable of high-capacity pumping, two trains designed for debris clean-up, and additional emergency trucks and emergency response equipment – including track pumps and chainsaws.
To reduce the likelihood of flooding and respond to any instances of flooding that do occur, crews will inspect drains in flood-prone areas to ensure they are functional, and supervisors will monitor flood-prone locations for any reports of flooding to ensure a quick response. Elevator and escalator specialists will deploy to flood-prone locations to attend to any weather-related elevator and escalator issues.
New York City Buses
MTA personnel are monitoring routes for known flooding situations, and have detours prepared. Extra personnel will be on standby in the event of service disruptions or subway shutdowns.
All bus facilities will have roof drains checked and ensure they are clear of debris and any loose materials will be secured. Emergency generators are being checked and will be ready in the event of a power outage.
Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad
The MTA’s commuter railroads has pre-positioned crews and diesel locomotives to be in position to minimize service disruptions.
Additional personnel have been added to identify and quickly address possible track, signal and power challenges caused by flooding, washouts, downed trees and other potential storm damage. Personnel will survey and clear drainage areas where necessary, fortify key locations, and look for trees requiring removal as well as any track structures requiring attention.
Railroad crews have equipment on hand to be able to respond quickly as conditions warrant – chainsaws for clearing downed trees, pumps in the event of flooded areas, identifying locations and availability of supplies for replacing damaged utility poles and crossing gates.
The railroads have worked aggressively to proactively protect infrastructure, tackling poor drainage locations, improving vegetation management adjacent to tracks and strengthening and replacing utility poles, among other actions.
A media briefing on the storm held at City Hall on Friday can be watched here.
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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.
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