Severe storms spark widespread flooding in Northeast, 1 person killed
Widespread flooding Sunday in New York’s Hudson Valley left one woman dead and hundreds stranded in what authorities are calling a “1,000-year-event.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said authorities are not expecting the same extent of damage in other parts of New York as the storm makes its way east into New England.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency warning Monday for central Vermont, and parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are under flood warnings with three to five inches of rain projected.
In a press conference from Highland Falls, New York Monday morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed a 35-year-old woman came out of her home after it took on too much water and was swept away.
Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said the woman’s body was found at the bottom of a ravine, where first responders encountered falling debris while trying to recover her body.
Hochul confirmed at least nine inches of rain fell in the Hudson Valley area, with the National Weather Service issuing a flash flood emergency for the first time since Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Hochul has declared states of emergency in Orange County and Ontario County. And an estimated 700 people were stranded in Putnam County Sunday night, she said.
Hochul said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have all reached out to assist with the damage.
The New York Department of Transportation and Orange County Department of Public Works will be assessing bridges to determine whether they are safe to cross, Neuhaus said Monday.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank the first responders, who came out, and as much as it looks clear today, this was a frightening, life-threatening experience that they just came through,” Hochul said.
“They did not think about their own safety, they literally went up to cars that were swirling, at risk of being washed away, and they knocked and made sure someone was safe,” she continued.
Hochul said homeowners must be prepared and “anticipate the worst-case scenario where the flood waters are rising in your home.” She said this includes charging cell phones, having food, water and medicine on hand, and creating a safety plan.