Flooding across NYC

It was the start to the 2023/2024 school year

Near The Williamsburg Bridge

It was only just barely my first month of junior year. We had moved to NYC over the summer, and I was just getting used to using the subway as my daily commute. I remember heavy rains throughout early September, but it wasn't until September 28th and 29th when the heavy rains engulfed NYC.

In less than 24 hours, roughly 7 inches of rain poured down, overflowing the sewage and stormwater drainage systems. I was late to school that Friday morning. Many of my classmates were. The subway lines were struggling, and active stations kept crowding. I had to take the bus back home, and what was normally a 10 minute subway ride, became a 2 hour, compact bus ride. 

The Washington Post

The heavy rain was from the remnants of the Tropical Storm Ophelia, that hit the east coast during September. But the flooding was a result of a city not built to absorb so much water, and a stormwater sewage system that is vulnerable to being overwhelmed.

The impacts on the city were pretty disastrous. Most subway lines were out of commission for the time being, and other forms of public transportation like the metro bus were overcrowded and inefficient. The city estimated around $100 million in damages.

Works cited
https://abc7ny.com/post/weather-nyc-storm-flash-flooding-heavy-rain/13847595/

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/heavy-rains-cause-flooding-new-york-city