State of emergency declared in New York after month's worth of rain triggers flooding

Officials in New York warned residents there's potentially another 24 hours of rain to come as they were urged to 'shelter in place', as Chloe Keedy reports

A state of emergency has been declared across New York City after a month's worth of rain fell on Friday causing flash flooding.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had imposed the contingency measures due to the "extreme rainfall we're seeing throughout the region".

Long Island and the Hudson Valley have also seen a state of emergency declared in their respective areas.

Heavy rainfall left parts of Brooklyn underwater and made roads near impassable (Credit: X / @ianfford)

More than four inches of rain fell over parts of Brooklyn in just three hours on Friday morning, with further downpours expected across New York state.

New York's National Weather Service said that as of Friday morning, this September had been the wettest for New York City in 140 years.

In a message shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Governor Hochul urged people to "take steps to stay safe and remember to never attempt to travel on flooded roads".

Photos and video posted on social media showed water pouring into subway stations, prompting severe disruptions to services.

City officials confirmed they had received reports of six flooded basement apartments, but that all the occupants had got out safely.

New York City's emergency management, meanwhile, said the flooding had overwhelmed sewers and flooded roads in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Hoboken.

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Traffic moves through flood waters along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Credit: AP

Millions of New Yorkers received alerts from the National Weather Service on Friday morning, warning of a "dangerous and life-threatening situation" with a "considerable" risk of flash flood damage.

The service added that the New York tri-state area is facing a Level 3 of 4 "moderate" risk for flash flooding.

Despite the downpours, flight cancellations were kept at a low level, although many flights have been delayed - particularly at New York's LaGuardia airport.

New York City's Emergency Management Commissioner, Zach Iscol, said. "All New Yorkers need to exercise caution.

"If you must travel, consider using public transportation and allow for extra travel time, and if you must drive, do not enter flooded roadways."

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