NYC flood zone map: These areas are facing intense flooding amid state of emergency

New York City is bracing for intense flooding on Thursday and Friday and a state of emergency has already been issued in New Jersey

Published on: Jul 31, 2025, 23:30:15 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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New York City is bracing for intense flooding on Thursday and Friday and a state of emergency has already been issued in New Jersey. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued several warnings, triggered by severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

New York City is bracing for severe flash floods on Thursday (Unsplash)

Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have activated emergency plans, urging residents to prepare for up to 5 inches of rain from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning, with the heaviest downpours expected to peak overnight. At least 2+ inches could fall across New York City and the rest of the tri-state area per hour.

The NWS has placed all five boroughs, Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens, and Richmond (Staten Island), under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8:00 PM EDT and a Flood Watch from 2:00 PM EDT Thursday to 8:00 AM EDT Friday.

Key flood-prone zones include northern Manhattan, where the Harlem River Drive has seen standing water, and parts of Brooklyn and Queens. “As the forecast shifts from extreme heat to heavy rains, I am urging all New Yorkers to stay vigilant and use caution through the end of this week,” Governor Hochul said. “State agencies are on standby for heavy downpours and localized flooding and will be monitoring the situation in real-time to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers in the path of the storm.”

Here is the NYC flood zone map

State of emergency

Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared for New Jersey on Thursday. Forecasters have noted that certain areas can expect up to seven inches of rain on Thursday and Friday. The state of emergency takes effect at 2 PM local time for all 21 counties.

Beginning this afternoon, we are expecting severe thunderstorms to bring heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts with the potential for flash flooding across the state,” acting Governor Tahesha Way said.

“I urge all New Jerseyans to remain alert, follow all safety protocols, and monitor the proper channels for the duration of these storms. Residents should remain off the roads and indoors unless absolutely necessary.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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