Governor declares state of emergency as storms slam Long Island

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon for Long Island, New York City and more than a dozen other counties as forecasters warned of torrential rain, potential flash flooding and dangerous conditions for the evening commute.

Thunderstorms had already begun moving across Nassau and Suffolk counties by mid-afternoon. Forecasters are saying it’s the start of what could be hours of heavy rain.

The order covers Nassau and Suffolk — along with New York City’s boroughs and Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. State offices released non-essential employees in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and several upstate counties at 1 p.m.

Forecasters expect one to three inches of rain across much of the region, with some areas possibly seeing up to five inches. Rainfall rates could reach one to two inches an hour in the heaviest downpours, most likely Thursday afternoon and evening.

The storms are expected to hit hardest during the evening rush hour, and Hochul urged employers to dismiss workers early to ease travel and reduce risk.

Flood watches are in effect for New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley through Friday afternoon. Officials warned that flooded roadways, overwhelmed sewers and potential subway disruptions are likely if the forecast holds.

Residents are encouraged to enable government emergency alerts on their phones and sign up for county-specific weather notifications by texting their county or borough name to 333111.

_{Top image: National Weather Service}