One of the central metro stations in New York flooded: MTA announced the reason

On November 20, despite the lack of rain in New York, the entrance to one of the central metro stations was completely flooded. The MTA explained that this is due to global warming. And passengers said that “everything looked very surreal and strange,” the newspaper writes. The Verge.

Flood in the subway

On Wednesday, November 20, the flooded metro entrance forced Brooklyn passengers to stop to understand what was really happening.

“For four hours, the staircase leading to the Broadway station in Williamsburg was blocked and completely submerged in water. The sight was all the more strange, because there was no rain in New York that day, ”the newspaper writes.

As it turned out, the flood was artificial and planned. Thus, the City Transport Administration tested one of the devices installed to protect the metro system from future superstorms.

In the event of a real catastrophe, a flexible gate closes the entrance to the station and can hold up to more than four meters of water.

MTA said it checked whether the new gate at Broadway station was installed correctly and added that the tests were successful.

Passenger reaction

Kay Blegvad, who encountered an unusual sight on the way to work, laid out in Twitter photograph and asked the MTA to explain what was happening.

So deeply proud to be confirmed as an intrepid New Yorker https://t.co/9WaTKNnxNk

- Kaye Blegvad (@kayeblegvad) November 21, 2019

“At first I thought that the entire metro could be flooded, but everyone around me seemed pretty calm, as usual in New York,” wrote Blegwad in an email to The Verge.

She added that "everything looked very surreal and strange."

Kay soon discovered that the other entrances to the station were open and dry, and was able to catch a train.

In response to Blegvad’s request, the MTA replied that it planned to use submarines in the metro. Then, in another post on Twitter, the company explained the reasons for the “test flood”: “We do this because climate change is real.”

What does climate change have to do with it

Climate change is expected to lead to increased rainfall, higher sea levels and more frequent and intense storms in New York. When Hurricane Sandy hit New York in the 2012 year, flood stations flooded several stations from gauge to ceiling with corrosive salt water.

Two Long Island railways between Manhattan and Queens were flooded. Tunnels, bridges, the subway and bus stops were also damaged.

Safety enhancement

After Hurricane Sandy, New York took the initiative to make public transport more sustainable. Over the past seven years, he has upgraded stations and tunnels to prevent similar flood damage in the future. This includes a flexible staircase cover tested yesterday, and 64 other similar covers throughout the city.

“Flexible gates made of Kevlar (textile fiber - Ed.) that one person can install in minutes. The device was developed by the same company that created the spacesuits for NASA's Apollo astronauts, ILC Dover, ”the publication writes.

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In general, MTA installed equipment, including other devices, such as 1360 kilogram underwater doors and portable ventilation covers, at approximately 3500 points where water can enter the subway system.

Work on the modernization of the New York Metro in view of climate change continues. The MTA promises to conduct more “flood tests,” similar to the one conducted on November 20.

In an update on Sustainability Initiative published by 29 on October 7th to mark the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foyer said: “We are responsible for the entire region to complete this work and we will do it.”