A person runs from the rain towards Penn Station near Madison Square Garden.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria
As if the weather hasn’t been chaotic enough, New York City is now under a tornado watch.
From now through 9 p.m. tonight, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for all Five Boroughs, plus Nassau County and parts of New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The area can expect multiple rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms, with rainfall totals averaging 1 to 2 inches and localized swaths of 3 to 4 inches possible.
Peak rainfall totals could be 2-3 inches per hour at their strongest. Conditions will be favorable for tornadoes to form, which in turn could cause flying debris, turn unsecured objects into projectiles, and cause power outages.
The New York City Emergency Management Department (NYCEM) urges New Yorkers to exercise caution if they need to leave their homes. New Yorkers are encouraged to charge their cellphones, gather supplies and turn refrigerators/freezers to a colder setting prior to storm activity.
In the event of an outage, NYCEM says to stay clear of any down power lines. Turn off all appliances, do not use generators indoors and keep the refrigerator/freezer doors closed to prevent food spoilage. If you have a disability/access needs, or use life-sustaining equipment and need immediate assistance, dial 911.
It’s been a particularly soggy July for the Big Apple. The city was hit with major rainstorms on July 18, putting New York City under a flood watch as well as a previous tornado watch. The July 4 heatwave was also broken by intense rain on July 6, with another flood watch in effect.
For the latest updates on the city’s weather response, sign up for Notify NYC, the City of New York’s official, free emergency communications program. You can also register for emergency notifications by getting the free Notify NYC mobile application, visiting NYC.gov/notifynyc, contacting 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115) or following @NotifyNYC on Twitter.
For the latest weather info: www.weather.gov/okx. To find out if you live in a flood zone or for more flooding resources, visit floodhelpny.org or the New York City Emergency Management Department page at www.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/flooding.page.
