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“This wasn’t part of any previous playbook, but we have to literally change the whole way of thinking,” he said. “Because no matter how good some forecasts are, they can’t always keep up with the weather.”
Resentment was particularly palpable in Queens, where 12 people died as the water gushed underground and left residents to drown in their own homes. Most of these basement apartments it was illegal, according to the city’s Department of Buildings.
“It’s unacceptable that we haven’t prepared for Ida with the same diligence we did for Henri, and it’s a failure for the city,” said Francisco Moya, a Queens alderman. “No one should be driving, trying to escape a storm, or being stranded at work by dangerous flooding, and no one should risk losing their life and being inundated at home not knowing when the water will stop or what to do.”
The devastation and human loss in the New York area looked particularly striking given that Ida had already hit and hit the Gulf Coast. New Orleans on Sunday with much stronger winds but with fewer deaths.
The city issued official warnings early Wednesday morning that the city’s Office of Emergency Management warned that the Ida remains could cause flash flooding. The city said it has also activated its flash flood emergency plan, which includes clearing clogged basins. The fallen tree alerted the task force.
According to the governor’s office, inspections and patrols were sent to assess the rising waters, and government transportation officials were dispatched to clear the culverts and other drainage systems of debris. A range of equipment was deployed, from chain saws to hand tools, as well as pumps and generators.
On Wednesday evening, the forecasts got even more dire. New Yorkers were warned of the hurricane and asked to move to higher ground. Calls to the city’s 911 emergency system and 311 helpline began to spike around 8 p.m., according to city officials.
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