The nor’easter will reach New York City on Friday afternoon, bringing rain through Sunday, wind gusts up to 40 mph and coastal flooding at high tide. The Friday evening and Saturday morning high tides are the biggest concern. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the heaviest rain is expected to stay east of the city, but he urged New Yorkers to prepare because storm tracks can change.
The biggest danger may not be the rain total, which forecasters put at 1 to 1.5 inches. It is where the water goes. Five years ago this month, the remnants of Hurricane Ida killed 13 people in New York City, and 11 of them died in flooded basement apartments. That is why the city’s storm guidance this week speaks directly to people who live below street level.
Will the nor’easter hit NYC hard?
It depends on the track. FOX 5 New York reports that forecasters are weighing three scenarios. If the storm drifts closer to New Jersey or Long Island, heavier rain and stronger winds could land directly on the city. If it tracks toward southern New England, Boston takes the worst of it. If it drifts out to sea, the heavy rain stays over open water, though flooding and rough surf will still hit the coast. The New York Times forecast gives the city a 90% chance of rain Saturday, with thunderstorms likely.
Which NYC neighborhoods could flood from the nor’easter?
New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said the city is watching the Friday evening and Saturday morning high tides, which could flood low areas on Staten Island’s eastern shore, in the Rockaways and around Jamaica Bay. Just outside the city, southern Nassau County faces the highest risk of widespread moderate flooding during those same tides.
The beaches carry their own danger. There is a high risk of rip currents through at least Saturday. City beaches officially closed Sept. 13, and no lifeguards are on duty.
Why are basement apartments the biggest risk in a NYC storm?
Water gets in fast and can block the only way out. After Ida, the city’s Department of Buildings found that five of the six properties where people died were illegally converted basement or cellar units. A study of the deaths found that the victims were mostly older and foreign-born New Yorkers, and that none could get out or be reached in time…