New York City flood: Why Hurricane Ida hit the city so hard

The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record amounts of rain and unleashed deadly flash floods in several Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states on Sept. 1 and 2. The torrent left New York City largely at a standstill, with most subway service limited, delayed or suspended, and a citywide travel advisory in effect.

The remnants of tropical cyclones that travel inland over the central and eastern United States are sometimes marked by deadly “second acts” that can unfold days and hundreds of miles beyond coastal landfall. Despite the lesser rainfall in New York City relative to southeastern Louisiana, where Ida first made landfall, the flooding was arguably worse. This is because the extensive paved surfaces and rooftops generated a tremendous volume of runoff with nowhere to go. Read more: https://wapo.st/3jEyN5Z. Subscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube: https://wapo.st/2QOdcqK

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