Hasn’t New York City been through enough?
While enduring a pandemic, an economic crash and civil unrest, the city is now bracing for the latest 2020 challenge: Tropical Storm Fay.
The National Hurricane Center issued the warning for New York City, Long Island and coastal New Jersey at 5 p.m. Thursday while announcing Fay’s development just off of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The storm’s expected to move northward over the next 36 hours and make landfall in the New York City area early Saturday morning.
A few degrees below a hurricane, a tropical storm has sustained winds of between 39 and 74 mph. Fay’s expected to dump between two and five inches of rain across New York City, upstate and eastern New England between Friday and Saturday, and her tropical storm winds could be felt beginning between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 10.
Dangerous waves and rip currents are expected in coastal areas. A flash flood warning has also been issued for the New York City area. Isolated thunderstorms, some of which might be severe, are also likely.
As of 11 p.m. Thursday night, Fay’s storm center had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, and it’s moving to the north at 8 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicts some strengthening overnight as it moves in a northerly direction, and the storm will hasten its movement as it gets closer to New York City.
The 11 p.m. storm track has the center of Fay sitting off the Jersey Shore at 8 p.m. Friday night, then blowing through New York City, weakening as it heads inland. By 8 a.m. Saturday, the storm center should be up near the New York/Vermont border.
According to The Weather Channel, Fay is the earliest F-named storm since the National Hurricane Center began naming tropical storms. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane center is expected to be among the most active in recent memory, and Fay is the sixth named system in 2020.
The city’s Emergency Management Department is coordinating a multi-agency Emergency Operations Center to deal with the storm’s potential impacts. The office also activated its Flash Flood Emergency Plan to reduce flooding risks in advance of the storm, and respond to any flooding that might develop.
“We are working closely with National Weather Service to monitor Tropical Storm Fay and the potential impacts it may have to New York City,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell. “This storm is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain tomorrow, so make sure you secure loose objects like garbage cans and patio furniture, charge cell phone batteries and other devices, and take other necessary precautions.”
Meanwhile, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he is dispatching various state resources to New York City and Long Island to help with any storm damage and flooding that may occur.
This story first appeared on amny.com.
