Uber and Lyft have been criticized for raising their fares again during a flash flood in New York.
The ride-hailing apps have been accused of “slimeball tactics” by customers trying to avoid the rain, charging them up to $80 for a 10-minute ride.
New York City declared a state of emergency on Friday and 23 million people across the tri-state area were under flood warnings.
Subways in the five boroughs were flooded, causing travel chaos.
A 2.5-mile trip from downtown Manhattan to Central Park cost $61.52 during Friday’s flash floods
Uber and Lyft have increased their fares in New York City as demand surged due to heavy rain and people voiced their frustration online
Another person was quoted a price of $200 for a Lyft ride from Brooklyn to JFK Airport, and a third person was charged $167 for a ride from the Upper West Side to Gravesend in Brooklyn.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was stunned this morning after it took him nearly four hours to issue a shelter-in-place or advisory on a rapidly escalating flash flood disaster.
The rain, a remnant of Tropical Storm Ophelia, is among the worst in New York City since Hurricane Ida in 2021, when 13 people drowned in basement apartments after being unprepared.
While NYC’s emergency Twitter accounts warned of the rain on Thursday, the emergency alerts weren’t sent to residents’ phones until after rush hour on Friday morning.
Adams didn’t show up until 11 a.m. Last night he celebrated at a secret fundraiser for Eric Adams’ friends, where the suggested donation was $2,100 per person.
About 23 million people are currently under a flood warning across the tri-state area, and entire streets in Brooklyn are under water. Many have shared images of flooded basements and LaGuardia’s Terminal A is under water.
During a press conference on Friday, the press questioned Mayor Eric Adams about why he did not comment earlier on Friday’s dangerous flooding
Mayor Eric Adams is hosting a birthday fundraiser in Inwood tonight, a tipster says. No hosts were named, but the only suggested donation is a maximum of $2,100. Furthermore, his actual birthday was September 1st. pic.twitter.com/j9pAAxTt6o
— Jeff Coltin (@JCColtin) September 28, 2023
New York City has declared a state of emergency as the city prepares to be showered with up to seven inches of rain on Friday. New York City Department of Environmental Protection workers try to clear clogged drains after heavy rains
A car is pushed through flooded streets in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn
The New York subway is almost completely out of service and buses in Brooklyn have taken on water trying to wade through the floods.
Meanwhile, the state is figuring out how to get children home from school and trying to get buses and trains back in service before they are released.
During a news conference Friday, Adams said his deputies would address the situation and that “leadership doesn’t just rest with the mayor.”
Social media users reacted by saying: “A little late mate” and “Too little, too late, people are already at work and the kids are at school.”
Another added: “Meteorologists warned about this storm.” But you decided to wing it this morning. Once again.’
Nearly two inches of rain fell in Manhattan’s Central Park, making it the rainiest hour there in 80 years.
“We notified NYC through various social media channels. “The commissioner spoke about it yesterday… All the necessary precautions have been taken,” Adams replied.
“We have been through these conditions before and followed the proper protocol. “They created a communication situation using virtual methods and monitored the situation by doing what needed to be done.”
John F. Kennedy Airport in New York has already recorded more than three inches of rain since midnight, and Terminal A at LaGuardia is closed due to the weather.
The rains, already reaching a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, significantly impacted the morning commutes of millions of New Yorkers. Social media users shared footage of the chaotic scene in the area, including a shocking video of a flooded subway station and buses.
Traffic makes its way through floodwaters along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway on Friday
Elsewhere in the city there were up to five inches before 11 a.m. and subway service was largely halted. The flooding in Brooklyn is pictured above
A person exits their vehicle after it became stuck in floodwaters on Prospect Expressway
The downpour is expected to continue into Saturday, drenching the tri-state area. Calling it dangerous and life-threatening, the National Weather Service is extending the flood watch from 2 a.m. Friday through the night.
Zach Iscol, commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management, said Friday was “the wettest day we’ve had since Hurricane Ida hit this city.”
The area from central New Jersey through Manhattan and Long Island to southern Connecticut and the Hudson Valley is expected to receive the most precipitation. There could also be up to five centimeters of rain in Philadelphia and Boston, and up to seven centimeters or more in Hartford.
Parts of the city had already shrunk by up to 5 inches before 11 a.m. and subway service was largely suspended, according to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
While most of the Tri-State area is expected to receive three to five inches of rain, some areas further outside New York’s five boroughs could see as much as seven. Nassau, Queens and Kings counties, which include Brooklyn, were either experiencing or expected to experience flooding Friday morning.
“I just spoke to you about the flooding emergency in NYC. MTA is working hard to get the subway system back in service for the evening rush hour. Another round of extreme rain in the afternoon could complicate matters. Alternative buses can be used. More details coming soon,” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine wrote on X.
Hochul’s office said it is sending flood rescue teams to the Hudson Valley and Long Island.
The potential flooding threat can be dangerous for cities like New York, considering that Hurricane Ida in 2021 drowned 11 people, including a two-year-old boy, in their basement apartments.
Rainfall has already reached a rate of one to two inches per hour. Park Slope, Brooklyn is pictured above
Brooklyn and Queens were hit particularly hard this morning. Park Slope, Brooklyn is pictured above
New York City was drenched on Friday as flash floods hit streets during rush hour and up to seven inches of rain was forecast. Pictured above is the Prospect Expressway in Mamaroneck, Westchester County
The flooding in Queens is pictured above
During Ida, between 15 and 20 centimeters of rain fell in the city within 24 hours. Brooklyn resident Steve Kastenbaum posted a picture of the flooding on Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn, calling it “worse than Ida.”
New York officials sent an emergency alert to cellphones around 9:30 a.m. It said: “A flash flood warning is in effect for this area until 12:30 p.m. EDT.” “This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing a flood zone or have an evacuation order.’
The rain is expected to ease by Friday evening, but will last until Saturday morning. City officials issued a travel advisory from 4 a.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday, warning of possible “widespread travel impacts” during the morning commute.
The MTA said the rain will “inevitably” cause problems in the subway system and some routes have already been affected.
“There is no 2/3/4/5 service in Brooklyn.” We will provide more details shortly as we address water on the tracks in Brooklyn. The MTA released Friday morning.
The potential risk of flooding can be dangerous, considering how Hurricane Ida drowned 11 people, including a two-year-old boy, in their basement apartments in 2021. Queens, pictured above
The MTA said the rain will “inevitably” impact subway systems and some routes have already been affected. Brooklyn can be seen in the picture
Mayor Eric Adams warned of the storm expected in New York
Amtrak services from New York’s Penn Station are also affected and could lead to delays, Amtrak said on X.
Hochul said earlier Friday: “Brooklyn is experiencing some of the most severe impacts from this rainstorm – all Brooklyn residents should exercise extreme caution now.”
The MTA tried to get ahead of the storm as workers began checking drains at the 157th Street subway station on Thursday.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said, “No matter what we do, there will be water in the subway system…The good news is that this system is designed to take water and pump it out in bulk.”
The MTA will monitor conditions and make repairs as needed during the storm after activating its 24-hour situation room.
Lieber added in a statement: “This is a severe storm and we are taking it seriously.”
Even an inch of rain could cause flooding in certain areas of New York City and surrounding regions that are still saturated from last weekend’s storm.
The rains, already reaching a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, significantly impacted the morning commutes of millions of New Yorkers
The downpours are caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia with converging winds directly to the north
The MTA tried to get ahead of the storm as workers began checking drains at the 157th Street subway station on Thursday
The downpours are being caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia, experts said
The downpours were due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia with converging winds to the north, Fox Weather meteorologist Greg Diamond told The Post.
New Yorkers were warned to prepare to seek higher ground on Sunday as post-tropical cyclone Ophelia continued to batter the East Coast with wet weather.
Ophelia was a tropical storm of near hurricane strength when it struck near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on September 24. The power went out and the coastal roads were flooded. Last week, states of emergency were declared in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland.