Tropical Storm Irene made landfall in New York City late Saturday night and into early Sunday morning. Although the city was spared from some of the worst-case scenarios meteorologists predicted, New Yorkers are still recovering from the extensive damage the storm and subsequent flooding created.
Irene approached the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 3 hurricane in the middle of last week with a path headed straight towards New York. While the storm was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane by the time it made landfall in North Carolina on Saturday—and once again as a tropical storm by the time it reached New York—the city made plans to prepare for the worst.
On the Thursday before the storm, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told residents that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was clearing catch basins throughout the city to help mitigate potential flooding from the storm. By Friday, Bloomberg issued a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying coastal areas, including the entire Rockaway peninsula. Under the direction of Governor Andrew Cuomo, the MTA also announced taking the unprecedented step of shutting down service on Saturday at noon. Flights from the city’s airports were also cancelled.
In Queens, the storm flooded many areas and downed trees and power lines, causing thousands to lose power. Areas like Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach, adjacent to Jamaica Bay, saw extensive flooding. Broad Channel, which was in the mandatory evacuation zone, was severely damaged, with some residents losing their homes to the bay.
In central Queens, the flooding was less severe, but the wind knocked down dozens of trees, blocking roads and damaging cars and houses.
There has been one confirmed death as a result of the storm in the city. John Sierra, a Bronx resident, drowned when he went to check on his boat, docked in City Island, police said.
As of Wednesday, the city was reporting that nearly 4,000 trees were destroyed during the storm with more than 2,000 in Queens. There are still more than 10,000 people without power, more than 8,000 in Queens. Luckily, ConEd expects the vast majority of its customers will have power restored by Thursday.
The city was ultimately spared from the full brunt of the storm. Areas in upstate New York, Vermont and New Jersey all saw extensive flooding, especially in inland areas. The total death toll along the eastern seaboard from Irene’s wake is estimated to be at least 40 people.
Federal authorities are quickly assessing the damage to determine whether federal funds are necessary. President Barack Obama has already signed an emergency declaration for counties in upstate New York, which were hit hardest by the storm. Further declarations for the city are still possible.
By Eric Yun
