Flooding is the nation’s most prevalent natural disaster, and can hit parts of the Lower Hudson Valley hard.Westchester County government’s website warns flash floods can come at any time with little to no warning. Heavily-traveled roads such as the Hutchinson River Parkway and Bronx River Parkway often flood during big rainstorms.
Read on for essential safety tips to know when faced with flooding.
What to know ahead of flash flooding
According to the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services, in the event of flooding, people should:
Stay alert for signs of heavy rain, such as thunder and lighting, and keep and eye out for rising water levels.
Know where high ground is and get there fast if they see or hear rapidly rising water.
Be particularly cautious at night, which is when it’s tougher to recognize the danger.
Not cross flowing water that may be more than knee-deep. If any doubts, don’t cross.
Not drive through flooded areas.
If someone’s car stalls in a flooded place, the person should abandon it and seek higher ground immediately.
Members of the Westchester Technical Rescue Team prepare to check homes on Waverly Ave in the Village of Mamaroneck Sept. 29, 2023. Heavy rains caused flooding throughout the region.
Create a plan and stock up on supplies before a flood happens
Create a plan for your household, including your pets, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website said.
Know what to do, where to go, and what’s needed to protect yourselves . Learn and practice evacuation routes, shelter plans and flash-flood response. Have at the ready supplies, including non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, and water for several days, in case you must leave immediately or if services are cut off.
FEMA also said to keep important documents in a waterproof container and create password-protected digital copies. Protect property— move valuables to higher levels. Declutter drains and gutters, install check valves, and consider a sump pump with a battery.
What to do after a flood impacts your area
After a storm and/or flooding, government agencies advise people to:
Stay off bridges or fast-moving water
Don’t use contaminated water — whether for a glass of water or to bathe, be certain it’s not contaminated.
Inspect your home’s structure. Take pictures of damage from the storm for insurance claims. Check the home’s structure to be certain it is to enter the home.
What’s the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning?
A flood, or flash flood, watch means flooding or flash flooding will happen within a few hours of heavy rainfall, a dam or levee failure, or water is being released from an ice jam.
A flood, or flash flood, warning means inundation of a normally dry area near a stream or other water body has been reported or is imminent.
Find more flooding information online
For real-time water levels, go to the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. (Change the Auto Refresh tab to ON for real-time monitoring.) Check out Weather-Ready Nation Flood Safety for National Weather Service information about staying safe and protecting property.
North White Plains firefighters search for stranded motorists in the flooded out Taconic Parkway in Valhalla June 30, 2005. Heavy rains flooded the area.
Where are flood-prone areas in Lower Hudson Valley?
A National Weather Service analysis, which looked at flash flooding in July 2023 in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and other areas, found multiple instances in which heavy rains contributed to flash flooding and property damage.
One Westchester place that’s been hit hard is a Mamaroneck neighborhood because of proximity to two rivers.
Route 9A in Elmsford has been prone to flooding, and in one storm in January 2024 flooding led businesses to close, cars were seen abandoned in the road, and police restricted traffic into some places. In May 2024, federal money was announced to elevate six homes in one neighborhood that’s faced years of storm flooding.
Rockland County’s Clarkstown has at least two flood-prone areas. In March 2024, The Journal News/lohud.com reported the town government was receiving $2.1 million for efforts to curb flooding in West Nyack’s Jeffrey Court area. And the New York State Thruway Authority was getting $375,000 toward a study to come up with flood-alleviating plans for Route 59 during heavy rain that forces closure of the eastbound road. In January 2024, Route 59 east had been closed at the time after heavy rain storm.
Aside from any particular flood-susceptible place, bigger weather events can affect widespread areas with flooding. In July 2023, flooding shut down multiple roads and bridges in parts of Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam counties, and restricted some Metro-North train service. The storm left some vehicles floating, opened sinkholes and flooded homes.
Dig deeper: Thousands of Westchester homes could be lost to flooding by 2040, report says
The future of flooding concerns in Lower Hudson Valley
One report, issued in April by the Regional Plan Association, raised concerns about what flooding could mean long term for Westchester and some other places.
Thousands of Westchester homes could be lost to “permanent, chronic, and coastal” flooding by 2040, the report said.
It said the most flood-prone areas where biggest losses may happen are Westchester localities along Long Island Sound as well as several places on Long Island and in areas of Queens and Brooklyn.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Flooding: What to know, how to prepare for Lower Hudson Valley floods