Waves of heavy rain threaten another round of flood risks for NYC area

[00:00:00]This is Long Beach. Okay. So, we're out of Long Beach. Uh, we got a lonely county.

[00:00:04]>> We got a lonely crow or what is that?

[00:00:05]Whatever kind of bird that is there.

[00:00:07]Pelican. It's not a pelican.

[00:00:09]>> Osprey.

[00:00:09]>> Osprey. I think let's call it that.

[00:00:11]Let's go Osprey. We're not burers, I guess.

[00:00:13]>> Um, so so, but this is uh this is what we This is maybe the best of what we can get today. Just a gray sky. Yeah, >> because this is uh maybe as good as we're going to see it today.

[00:00:22]>> And mild temperatures, too. Starting off at 76 degrees. It's such a big flip-flop from what we had yesterday. It started off clear and cool and nice and comfortable today. It was like we're right back in the tropics as the warm front's coming through first and then the cold front follows and then the showers and storms. They've been breaking out, but it's not for everyone as it stands just yet. Um, but it's mainly for our northern counties for us here in New Jersey as well as uh up into the lower Hudson Valley that have seen the bulk of the showers and storms.

[00:00:50]There's the radar satellite. You can see it right there back at big day for us here, Dan, with the storms back in the area. Uh this is reminiscent of what we had on Saturday with a warm front coming through first first cluster of showers and storms. Then it looks like a little bit of a break. Then the bigger stuff is actually coming through this Saturday near this evening.

[00:01:08]>> This is like when I see the radar comes 10:47. So that's right now. Yep.

[00:01:13]>> So that storm right now is just south of Buffalo.

[00:01:17]>> Exactly. Exactly. And that's the second round of showers. What we have going through North Jersey is the first round.

[00:01:24]So, we got it. Actually, there is uh I believe there's live radar up on links one if you can if you want to switch to that one as well. Yeah. Okay. So, that shows you what's going through here right now.

[00:01:33]>> Oh, this is right now.

[00:01:34]>> So, yeah, this is what's going on right now through North Jersey. Heavier showers and storms. There's a lot of lightning in the mix there as well. It's coming through Rockland County heading into Westchester, Putnham County, and those things are moving slow. Mario, >> there you go. There you go. That tells you exactly where it is. and the rain's coming right through the Mario Cuomo h got a reducing visibility. There's probably going to be some lightning strikes out there as well. And these things are moving slowly. So that's part of the issue. We've got tropical moisture, slowmoving thunderstorms, and these are the situations that lead to the flooding >> because it's it's slow and it's intense.

[00:02:10]>> It's intense. It keeps raining in the same spot for too long of a time. Tends to overwhelm the sewer systems, the roadways get flooded, the underpasses get flooded, things of that sort. That's what happened on Saturday.

[00:02:21]>> Can I show you something real quick?

[00:02:22]Because this is this is uh this happened to me on Saturday.

[00:02:24]>> Oh, you have that?

[00:02:25]>> Yeah. We were driving down uh I had I had the whole crew and it's it's it's such a So I feel for everyone out there who kind of gets wrapped up in this and we could bring the audio up on this. Um who can I'll just be quiet. Here we go.

[00:02:41]>> That's you driving.

[00:02:44]>> That's me driving. I think I can hear it on the >> Oh my god. Look at this.

[00:02:49]We are literally in water. Okay.

[00:02:52]>> Okay.

[00:02:52]>> So, this was I I was heading down to Philly.

[00:02:57]>> My brother's birthday. So, I was heading down to Philly and we were cutting the GPS said it would be a good idea to cut through Newark. Okay.

[00:03:04]>> To hop back onto the turnpike to avoid some of the traffic on the park on the Garden State Parkway. And and and as we're getting up onto I78, which kind of brings you back, it was like traffic was flowing and out of nowhere.

[00:03:19]>> So I still got a bunch of traffic behind me and I got everybody in front of me and you So I feel for people who get trapped in this because you you you just don't know what to do, you know, because there's no We say we say if you see what do you say? Slow down, turn around.

[00:03:31]>> Yeah. If you uh Well, turn around. Yeah.

[00:03:34]Yeah. Turn around. Yeah.

[00:03:37]>> And in this case, I couldn't turn around. You know what I mean? Like there's cars behind us.

[00:03:40]>> They probably just start honking at you as you stop >> and it would almost create more of a problem cuz the water's coming up. So you just have to make the decision like to go through and and it happened fast cuz by the time we left our house it was raining >> right >> to when we got here which is 20 30 20 30 minutes from the house it had the intensity of the rain had picked up and then we got that like just all >> it happens in a hurry. That's why they call it flash flooding. And sometimes it's not even, you know, it's not even known to the different traffic systems who's got what in terms of flooding because it does happen. So I look nervous there. By the way, um, you're white knuckling a little bit.

[00:04:14]>> I was feeling sorry for the steering wheel there. I was like like, "Wow, that poor thing. Look at this thing. Look at that."

[00:04:20]>> And and yeah, and I believe your wife called you out on that.

[00:04:23]>> I She said I was terrified and I that I should >> Well, you were in charge of the whole family and you're trying to do the right thing. Look at that. But it does look like the other cars are going forward ahead. So I probably would have done the same thing.

[00:04:35]>> I mean, what are you going to do?

[00:04:36]>> Uh, exactly. But, uh, it's those situ those situations like you saw with a fire truck.

[00:04:42]>> We have that fire truck, too. Um, this was, uh, you know what? We can we can play this. You got a couple minutes to hang. Okay. So, so we had Robert Moses out um earlier. So, let's let's listen to Robert's report um that he filed earlier from Queens.

[00:04:57]>> Hey, Dan. We're just above the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Woodside. Luckily, the flooding has not been an issue this morning for the morning commute, but it could very well be a problem for the ride back home. The conditions we see here this afternoon and evening could resemble what we saw Saturday. This is what the BQE looks like now. Look at what it looked like on Saturday. Just amazing. The Brooklyn Queens Expressway looked more like the Brooklyn Queens Waterway. The water was so deep that vehicles bob like pool toys as a fire truck arrived to help some stranded motorists. Also nearby, the FDNY had to rescue a family of four trapped in a flooded basement. Let these be cautionary tales. Please do not try to drive through flood waters even if you think you can make it. And if you live in one of those basement apartments, have a plan to get out quickly. Last night, Mayor Zaram Mamdani issued a warning. He said, "Please exercise caution. Go inside if there's thunder or heavy rain. And if you live in one of those basement apartments, know your exits and be ready to move to a higher floor if heavy rain begins. Uh, you can get emergency alerts by texting notify NYC to 692692.

[00:06:17]I was just on the phone with a spokesman for AAA and he gave me some pretty alarming statistics. It takes just 12 in of moving water to sweep away a vehicle.

[00:06:29]6 in of moving water to sweep away a person. So what that means is that even if the water doesn't look very deep, it can be extremely dangerous. So please do not risk your life. Don't risk your vehicle. Just turn around. Don't drown.

[00:06:47]And remember, later on today, as these waves of rain move through, we'll see multiple bands. And so once one band of heavy rain moves out, don't get complacent because we might see another one right behind it. Again, flooding can be very, very dangerous. So, just take the time, pull over, don't try to drive through flooded waters. It's really important. And again, if you're in one of those basement apartments, city officials say have a plan to get to a higher floor as soon as that heavy rain begins. That is the latest from along the BQE. Let's hope this doesn't flood later on. Stan, back to you.

[00:07:28]>> Turn around, don't drown. We were sort of searching for uh what the uh what the saying was, but that's that's what it is. and and you were you wanted to I I I agree with you that those fire trucks um you know you you know the FDNY has specialized vehicles that are that are that that just do flooding and other emergency situations. A lot of towns have that but that didn't look like that on that fire truck.

[00:07:49]No, I was looking for some sort of like cuz there usually some sort of periscoping breathing mechanism for the engines and I didn't see that on that one. But it is also possible with that truck is so big, so tall that the engine and the equipment is high enough that it can handle some slightly higher water.

[00:08:05]But generally speaking, when you see water like that, you don't want to drive through it.

[00:08:09]>> No, you do not. There you go.

[00:08:11]>> And and so today, just to go through it again, uh let's look at uh let's go a little further north in Westchester County. So this is up in Westchester County that we're seeing right now. So there So like it's here and then a little further you the darker the clouds the >> Yeah, that's where the heavier rain is setting up. A slowm moving line of showers and storms is coming on through and there's some lightning with that as well. And also the really good possibility that you're going to have some uh some flash flooding happening with this. We did see flash flood warnings with these exact same cluster of storms back over Warren County, Sussex County earlier this morning. And in fact, I believe those uh flash flood warnings may be up until closer to 1:00.

[00:08:53]So this line of showers and storms likely to expand that. Keep in mind, we also have uh flood watches or flash flood watches in effect uh for some places until midnight, if not 200 a.m.

[00:09:05]for these slowmoving thunderstorms. And again, this is like round one of the heavier showers and storms that we have for you. The second one is the one that I'm even more concerned with. Plus, the ground will be even more saturated. So, rain that comes through on top of uh that later on this afternoon is going to have a greater potential for uh more flooding conditions. Okay. So, what's this?

[00:09:26]>> So, now I want Okay. So, this this what we were just looking at was Westchester County. Okay.

[00:09:31]>> So, this shot that we're seeing here, this is Emerald, P. What did you say?

[00:09:36]Emerald Lakes.

[00:09:37]>> Emerald Lakes. Oh, I I you know what? My our friend Brenda Rivera used to have a house there.

[00:09:41]>> Emerald, >> specifically in Emerald Lakes. It's near Long Pond.

[00:09:44]>> Okay.

[00:09:44]>> And uh and Pocono Raceway.

[00:09:46]>> So, when you see that, what do you see?

[00:09:48]>> Uh I see a lot of low clouds. They actually might be in a break. That might be actually more low cloudiness as opposed to the heavy rainfall that uh has come. But they did see the heavy rain that came through already. But there's so much moisture in the air uh that uh you know the potential of the next round of storms to latch onto that tropical air and just intensify the showers. Then we're going to have uh >> you said this is Conungle Town.

[00:10:13]>> Yeah, >> Conunk Town.

[00:10:14]>> I've never heard of Contown. Where is that in relation? Is that Is that still Poconosish area?

[00:10:18]>> Yeah, near Jonesville. Okay.

[00:10:20]>> Jonesville. Okay.

[00:10:21]>> Yeah. So, >> by the way, they they do watch Fox 5 up in that region as well. Yes. Because I've been >> watch the Fox Local app.

[00:10:27]>> Exactly. So, if they got the or they could watch the folks local app, but either way, where whatever way you can get it. But, um >> it's it's a mess out there cuz cuz when we started about an hour ago, um we were looking at shots as far west as Detroit >> and you couldn't find it >> and you couldn't we couldn't we couldn't find much. Um and it's almost like it had gone through and the further east we went um as we got toward Pennsylvania, you started to see the clouds pick up.

[00:10:51]Um and so I think that's sort of like making our way. Brenda, we were just talking about you because we were just looking at Emerald Lake, Pennsylvania.

[00:10:58]>> It's beautiful.

[00:10:58]>> Emerald Lakes. Yeah.

[00:10:59]>> Not today. Well, let's let's look at the Let's look right now. Let's go back to Emerald Lake. Can you go back over there? This is um >> What was she scenes like this before?

[00:11:07]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:11:07]>> Yeah. She she had a home there and uh a lot of low clouds, some rain. We could I could hear the u the raceway on Sundays when they had the race at times. That was actually not too far away from that exact location. I just remembered that name. I was like, I've heard that before. Ah, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. But, uh, yeah, this is So, they're likely to see some potential flooding conditions. We are here.

[00:11:32]>> Camelback.

[00:11:33]>> Oh, let's see. Camelback. This is Camel.

[00:11:35]>> Camelback. The the fun resort.

[00:11:36]>> Camel back. Not far away.

[00:11:37]>> Drive through that.

[00:11:38]>> Okay. No skiing today.

[00:11:40]>> No skiing. No water park.

[00:11:42]>> But the water park's extra soggy. I think that's open year round no matter what. Right.

[00:11:46]>> I don't think that water park's open today. And then Okay. So, now we got Emerald Lakes coming up next. All right.

[00:11:51]So this is this is your this is your former home.

[00:11:53]>> Can you tell?

[00:11:53]>> Can you tell?

[00:11:54]>> Can't see.

[00:11:55]>> You can't see anything, right?

[00:11:56]>> Bottom line. Yeah.

[00:11:57]>> Yeah. That's that's what it's like.

[00:12:00]Visibility on the roadways, too. Coming our way. And uh yeah, a soggy, sloppy Tuesday. Gets better by tomorrow, but we got to get through this evening. That's that's the worst of it coming on by.

[00:12:12]>> All right. We got it.

[00:12:13]>> We got it. We'll hang out. Okay. So Mike, thank you very