The city is experiencing rainfall patterns similar to Miami’s or Singapore’s, according to an official at The Atlantic Festival.
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New York City’s sewer system isn’t equipped for the current rainfall levels. It was designed for storms that used to deposit 1.75 inches of water per hour, not the heavier rainfall experienced in recent hurricanes like Irene, Sandy, and Ida. Hurricane Ida, for example, dumped 3.15 inches of rain per hour on Central Park. The city has also been dealing with an increasing number of flooding incidents, occurring even during atypical seasons. According to Rohit Aggarwala, New York City’s environmental-protection commissioner, the city is now experiencing a rainfall pattern more similar to tropical locations like Miami or Singapore.
Interestingly, the forecast turned into reality less than 24 hours after Aggarwala’s remarks. Heavy rain caused waterfalls in Brooklyn subway ceilings, dangerous basement flooding, and floating cars on the road. Mayor Eric Adams predicted that the city could receive up to eight inches of rain in one day, with parts of Brooklyn already experiencing a month’s worth of rain in just three hours. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency, and residents were alerted to avoid travel and seek high ground.
Aggarwala explained that infrastructure should be designed based on historical records, but climate change is challenging that approach. The city’s current standard of 1.75 inches of rain per hour is not met universally, and multiple neighborhoods have experienced rainfall of two inches or more per hour since Hurricane Ida hit two years ago. Aggarwala emphasized that such a pattern is not typical for New York City but would be expected in Miami or Singapore.
Today’s rainfall in Central Park has been the heaviest since Hurricane Ida, further highlighting the city’s inability to cope with such intense rain. According to Zachary Iscol, the New York City emergency-management commissioner, the city’s sewers are unable to process water at such a rapid rate. Aggarwala acknowledged that climate change is outpacing the city’s infrastructure’s ability to adapt.
This issue extends beyond New York City. A recent analysis revealed that one in nine residents in the contiguous United States faces a significant risk of storms overwhelming local infrastructure. The country lacks up-to-date information on rainfall patterns, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s data expected to arrive in three to four years. As extreme rainfall events become more frequent, Aggarwala urged against dismissing them as isolated incidents. He emphasized that this is the new reality.
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