Dec. 18, 2023 By Aidan Graham
New Yorkers woke up on Monday to a massive storm that drenched the city’s streets and left thousands of tri-state area customers without power.
The coastal storm made landfall on Sunday evening, with winds and heavy rainfall that continued throughout the morning commute and into Monday afternoon.
Gusts of winds reached between 54 and 55 mph, and local officials urged people to avoid unnecessary travel on Monday.
“A travel advisory is still in effect for New York City. Please exercise caution with your morning commute,” Mayor Eric Adams said on social media Monday morning. “Take mass transit and stay off the roads if possible.”
Rainfall in Central Park over a 24-hour span hit over 3 inches, while other areas in the Tri-State recorded over 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Con Edison was hard at work bringing power back to customers in the area, with several still left in the dark on Monday morning.
“Con Edison has restored service to 12,700 customers and is working to restore the remaining approximately 20,000 customers who lost power during the rain and windstorm that is hitting the New York region,” the company said at around 8 a.m. on Monday.
An untold number of residents still did not have power as of Monday evening.
Queens was the hardest hit county where the company operates, with 6,600 customers without service on Monday morning. Westchester County had 6,100 people in the dark, followed by the Bronx (3,600), Staten Island (2,500), Brooklyn (1,500). Manhattan, meanwhile, has most local power lines underground, and therefore avoids weather-related blackouts in most situations.
Even for those who did have power, though, Monday presented some challenges.
The Verrazzano Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island was closed in both directions, and alternate side parking has been suspended.
On the subways, there were weather-related delays to the 7, A, C, G, N, R, 6, J, 2, 3, F, and M trains. Straphangers are encouraged to check MTA.info before beginning your commute, as those delays may still be in effect.
Airports in the Tri-State area remained open throughout the storm, though many flights have been canceled.
Meanwhile, there remains a coastal flooding advisory, as the storm is expected to cause minor to major flooding in areas such as Jamaica Bay.
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