Another big coastal storm is targeting New York City Sunday night into Monday, bringing heavy winds and a potential deluge of up to 4 inches of rainfall.
The nor’easter has triggered travel advisories around the area, with city officials urging New Yorkers to stay off the roads and take public transit if they need to get around Monday morning.
The National Weather Service predicts most areas of the Five Boroughs will get between 2 and 4 inches of rain, with some local areas getting as much as 5 to 6 inches. The heaviest rainfall will occur between late Sunday night and well into the Monday morning commute.
As a result, the city is under a flood watch through 5 p.m. Monday. Low-lying areas and communities with poor drainage can experience flash flooding during the heavy rainfall; drivers should take care not to travel into roads that appear washed out.
Winds will also be strong, with sustained winds coming from the south to southeast of between 25 and 40 mph. Gusts, at times, could reach up to 60 mph. Scattered power outages from downed trees and wires could result.
Brooklyn and Queens are under a high wind warning from midnight to noon tomorrow, while the rest of the city is under a wind advisory for the same period.
If that’s not bad enough, the National Weather Service also expects minor coastal flooding developing Sunday night and growing more serious on Monday afternoon with the arrival of high tide.
Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s Emergency Management office are particularly concerned about coastal flooding in and around Jamaica Bay in Brooklyn and Queens, where up to 3 feet of local inundation is possible.
“As the forecast for this evening’s weather intensifies, our city agencies are hard at work, making sure we can handle anything the storm throws at us,” said Mayor Adams.
Southern Queens is under a coastal flood warning from 9 p.m. Sunday until 6 p.m. Monday, while Brooklyn and Queens is under a similar warning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday.
Ahead of the storm, the city’s Emergency Management department mobilized its situation room to coordinate responses to weather situations. The Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Sanitation also sent crews to clear out catch basins and check on infrastructure in flood prone areas.
The FDNY and NYPD are on standby to respond to any weather-related emergencies, including coastal flooding. Con Edison says it also has its crews ready to tackle any potential power outages.
Meanwhile, the MTA is barring all empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks from using its crossings beginning at 10 p.m. Sunday night. They have also closed the pedestrian walkways on the Cross Bay and Marine Parkway Bridges.
“Rain events, no matter how big or small, are treated seriously with crews prepositioned at vulnerable areas in order to address issues quickly,” added New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “While the subway system can pump millions of gallons of water on a dry day, customers should still check MYmta prior to traveling, particularly during the overnight hours.”
Visit MTA.info for the latest details on transit changes.
The city’s Department of Transportation has also suspended alternate-side parking rules for Monday, Dec. 18. You’ll still need to feed the meters.
