Video: Deadly Flash Flooding Devastates New York's Hudson Valley
A slow-moving storm system snaked through New York’s Hudson Valley on Sunday, destroying roads and claiming at least one life so far. The Hudson Valley, which includes Westchester and Orange counties amongst others, is thought to have seen the worst of the storms. A similar storm pattern may also now be headed towards New York City and Long Island.
On Sunday evening, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a rare state of emergency due to the “life-threatening flooding.” Hochul added that "local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts."
I have announced a State of Emergency for Orange County, which has experienced life-threatening flooding over the past few hours.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 10, 2023
We are in close communication with local officials and State agencies are participating in search and rescue efforts. ⬇️
According to a CNN analysis of historical rainfall frequency data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rainfall in West Point, NY (home to the United States Military Academy) reached 7.5 inches in six hours. That constitutes a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event for the region.
One person has already lost their life in the harrowing floods. A woman in Highland Falls, NY was swept away when boulders, dislodged from the violent flooding, rammed the side of her home. “Her house was completely surrounded by water,” Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told The Associated Press.
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was apparently afraid her house would not withstand the flooding. “She was trying to get through [the flooding] with her dog,” Neuhaus elaborated. When she exited her home “she was overwhelmed by tidal-wave type waves.”
Two additional residents managed to escape.
Unbelievable video footage of the flooding has swept across social media
In one piece of footage, a person standing on the roof of their home films a deluge of water washing over a small bridge which links two adjoining neighborhoods over a creek.
A woman standing on the road comes to the bridge and assesses the flooding, which is breaking over the bridge. She then ties her hair into a tight bun as she prepares to traverse the treacherous tides.
More from later in the same video shows the same woman, now on the other side of the bridge and standing amidst the flooding. She shouts something unintelligible to an older man, who is now stranded on the other side of the bridge and unable to cross due to the roiling current.
The Twitter account @NsfwWx, described in their bio as a “Social Media Forecaster for the Northeast,” has posted several videos detailing devastation from the floods.
One of the most remarkable videos was recorded on Route 218 near West Point.
“Oh man, that’s insane,” the person recording intones as they rush towards a waterfall. It’s cascading down a rock face into a crevice where the roadway has completely washed away. “Woo! That is wild,” the videographer reiterates over footage of water rushing down exposed concrete and piping.
Route 218 from cornwall to West point is gone pic.twitter.com/zdxMJAkQ7M
— NsfwWx ❄️ (@NsfwWx) July 10, 2023
An unbelievable photograph, posted by the same Twitter user, shows a portion of collapsed roadway in Woodbury. A demolished car sits at the bottom, rolled onto its side with the windshield shattered from the impact.
Route 32 Woodbury via facebook poster Michael G pic.twitter.com/Arqg1NAblZ
— NsfwWx ❄️ (@NsfwWx) July 10, 2023
The area is home to many popular outdoor recreation areas, some of which have been closed until further notice. This includes the sprawling Harriman State Park and Bear Mountain State Park, both of which incurred major storm damage. Amtrak service between Albany and NYC has also been suspended, as has Metro-North service between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie, NY.
Westchester and Fairfield counties, in addition to Long Island and New York City, have had flood watches issued for this afternoon. Between one and two inches of rainfall are expected. That’s significantly less, however, than the three to eight inches which pelted Hudson Valley on Sunday.
Americans weren’t the only ones experiencing intense flooding this weekend. New Delhi, India recorded its wettest July day in 41 years when six inches of rain resulted in landslides and flash flooding. So far, 22 deaths have been recorded. It comes on the heels of extreme flooding in India just last month, which affected nearly half-a-million people.
The New York Times notes that there are many factors which can contribute to flooding, including ground conditions and land development. However, climate change “is an increasingly important part of the mix.”