Flood watch in effect for NYC as all 5 boroughs brace for powerful weekend storm
A flood watch is in effect across the New York City area from Sunday afternoon into early Monday morning, as forecasters say a powerful storm could dump up to 3 inches of rain in the region.
Most of the rain will fall during a 12-hour period starting late on Sunday, officials with the National Weather Service in New York said in a briefing Friday night.
A strong frontal system will impact the region Sunday through early Monday. Headlines remain unchanged. Expect a period of heavy rainfall and strong gusty winds. Check out the latest briefing here https://t.co/4gF5v4ucsT#NYCwx #NYwx #CTwx #NJwx pic.twitter.com/l5CMFormOJ
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) December 9, 2023
All five boroughs are under a flood watch from 4 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday, while a high wind watch — with sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts up to 60 mph — is also in effect for Brooklyn and Queens during that time.
Parts of Long Island will see the worst of the wind, authorities said. Downed trees and power outages are possible.
Residents and business owners are being advised to “secure any loose outdoor holiday decorations” before Sunday evening.
The rain is expected to cause minor flooding along quick-responding small rivers and creeks along the Tri-State area — mainly in the Lower Hudson Valley, northeast New Jersey, and southwest Connecticut — while some larger rivers could see minor flooding on Monday.
Any residual poor drainage and river flooding is likely to impact the Monday morning commute, forecasters said in a Saturday morning update.
A potent storm system impacts the Tri-State late this weekend, bringing heavy rain, strong to damaging winds, and coastal flooding. #NYwx #CTwx #NJwx
⚠️Briefing: https://t.co/2d6kBr7o86
✅Local forecast: https://t.co/wTqdsonfJ9 pic.twitter.com/yL25UtspxB
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) December 8, 2023
The potentially routine-breaking downpour comes just three months after the streets of New York City — along with basements, parks and subway stations — were flooded by a historic storm that paralyzed most of the city.
On Sept. 29, a record-breaking storm dumped nearly 8 inches of rain at JFK airport, overwhelming the city’s aging mass transit system and leaving New Yorkers scrambling to reach their destinations, in what Gov. Kathy Hochul described as a “life-threatening rainfall event.”
