A State of Emergency has been issued for the five boroughs as flooding caused by heavy rainfall continues to disrupt travel and commutes. 

Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul issued separate States of Emergency Friday as heavy rainfall flooded parts of the city. Hochul said the amount of rain the city received was “Hurricane Ida-level water.” 

 

Thousands of Department of Transportation personnel, Port Authority staff and National Guard members have been deployed to assist New Yorkers. 

“I want every New Yorker to go safe tonight, make sure they can see their families again,” Hochul said virtually at a news briefing. “Be smart about it, stay home, don’t get in your vehicles and this will pass.” 

Speaking to NY1's Dean Meminger, Adams praised the responses of New Yorkers and first responders during the worst of the rain.

“These are record levels, we have to understand that water was coming down at an alarming level, but New Yorkers and first responders really responded appropriately. We were able to navigate our way through this,” Adams said.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the city had seen as “much rain in the 24-hour period as we normally get in two to three months.” 

Lieber said at a news briefing that “some subway service continues to be limited” with “some lines that are running,” but “many other lines are suspended.”  

Public Transportation

The MTA says there is “only extremely limited subway service available because of heavy flooding caused by rainfall.” 

At an MTA briefing Friday afternoon, Lieber encouraged riders to consider taking the bus over the subway, as only a few buses have been impacted by the rain. According to Lieber, 44 buses were stranded throughout the day, but all of those buses were restored.

Lieber says the A and 7 train are running, but many other lines are suspended. 

Meanwhile, Metro-North has restored service to the Hudson line; the Harlem Line has resumed with limited service between Grand Central Terminal and Fleetwood; and the New Haven Line service has resumed with delays after crews cleared flood water from tracks. 

He adds that there is also “good Long Island Railroad service” with only the Far Rockaway line being disruptive at Valley Stream because of a water condition which is being worked in as of Friday evening. 

Lieber says Grand Central Madison is providing full service, and there are some delays at Penn Station. 

The MTA will be cross honoring all tickets through the train systems.

The agency will continue to update customers on service changes and suspensions on its social media pages.

Impact on Schools

At Adams’ briefing, Schools Chancellor David Banks said around 150 of the city’s approximately 1,400 public schools had experienced some flooding. Asked if city officials had discussed closing schools, Banks said that would have been the “last option.”

In a statement provided to NY1, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Education said all city schools “have safety plans in place and are trained annually to prepare for days like today.” 

“A portion of our schools took in water, but nothing has impacted their ability to safely educate students,” the spokesperson said, adding that crews were working to repair the damage. 

One school in Brooklyn — P.S. 312 Bergen Beach — evacuated to a nearby school due to a smoking boiler, the spokesperson said. 

The DOE is asking bus companies to send buses out early ahead of afternoon pickup and take safety precautions, the spokesperson added.

All outdoor Public School Athletic League events have been canceled, the DOE said.

Air Travel Disruptions

At the city's airports, travelers have been grappling with intermittent ground stops due to reduced visibility and challenging flying conditions. The Port Authority has issued alerts, cautioning passengers about potential delays and advising them to check flight statuses before heading to the airport.

Delays at JFK Airport were averaging 15 minutes around noon and were anticipated to increase.

Terminal A at LaGuardia Airport was closed entirely at 11 a.m., with passengers being transported to Terminal C. Hochul said at the briefing that the terminal was flooded with water. Spirit Airlines announced all flights out of the airport were canceled through 3 p.m., and other airlines are working to rebook flights with customers.  

Newark Liberty International Airport has so far remained relatively unaffected, with minimal cancellations and delays. However, travelers are urged to stay informed by checking with their respective airlines and the FAA for updates.

Roadways and Bridges

The rain caused closures to numerous highways across the five boroughs. Sections of the Belt Parkway, the FDR Drive, the Bronx River Parkway, Grand Central Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway were closed at various times during the day, but have since reopened.

Flooding on the Amsterdam ramp leading to the George Washington Bridge toward Manhattan caused intermittent closures, and New Jersey-bound lanes on the bridge were experiencing intermittent closures due to flooding, according to the Port Authority.

NYC Sporting Events

The New York Islanders' match against the New York Rangers at the UBS Arena scheduled for Friday has been rescheduled to 7 p.m. on Saturday due to flooding concerns, the teams posted on social media.

The New York Mets also canceled their game against the Philadelphia Phillies, and plan to make up for it with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4:10 p.m.

Fans attending the doubleheader will receive a tie-dye headband, and the Mets Crossbody Bag giveaway has been shifted to Sunday, for the first 15,000 attendees of the 3:10 p.m. game.

Follow along for the latest updates below.