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August 2014 United States floods

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August 2014 United States floods
The system responsible for the New York floods
CauseHeavy rains
Meteorological history
DurationAugust 11–13, 2014
Flood
Maximum rainfall13.57 in (345 mm) Islip, New York
Overall effects
Fatalities3
Injuries1
Damage$1.837 billion
Areas affectedMid-Atlantic

In a three-day period on August 11–13, 2014, flooding occurred across Michigan, New York, particularly Long Island, and portions of Maryland. Numerous water rescues and evacuations occurred across expressways and residential areas, and caused three fatalities and one injury. Additionally, several rainfall records were broken across the three primarily affected states, and a flash flood emergency was issued for portions of the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. The event was regarded as the largest natural disaster in 2014 in the United States by the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Meteorological synopsis

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A slow-moving low-pressure area moved across the eastern United States, bringing flooding to southeastern Michigan which caused two deaths.[1] The upper-level trough then pulled moisture plume from the Atlantic Ocean.[1][2] The trough, combined with the moisture plume, then stalled over northern portions of the Mid-Atlantic, bringing high rainfall rates.[3]

Impact and aftermath

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Michigan

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Daily rainfall records were broken in Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw, with Detroit recording its second-heaviest rainfall event when 4.57 in (116 mm) of rain fell at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on August 11.[4][5] Portions of Interstate 696 and Interstate 75 were closed as vehicles were submerged in floodwaters.[6][7] In suburban portions of Detroit, peak rainfall amounts of 6.25 inches (159 mm) were recorded.[8] The American Automobile Association received over 700 calls for assistance in 12 hours, and heavy rainfall caused river levels to rise.[9] At Baker College near Allen Park, floods stranded 60 students and forced a portion of Interstate 94 to close.[10] Detroit Zoo closed as a result of flood damage there.[9] There were 32,000 power outages during the flood event, and flood damage totaled $1.8 billion.[6][11] In excess of 100,000 homes were damaged across Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties as a result of the flooding.[5] Floodwaters across southeastern portions of the state were combined with nearly 10 billion gallons of sewer overflow.[12] The flooding in Michigan was described as a "1-in-500 year event", and also regarded as the largest United States natural disaster in 2014 by the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.[5]

On September 25, 2014, United States President Barack Obama approved a disaster declaration requested by Michigan governor Rick Snyder that was requested over a week prior.[13][14] On May 13, 2016, nearly two years after the floods, multiple lawsuits, including a class action lawsuit, were filed against the cities of Clawson and Royal Oak for poor handling of the impacts of the severe weather event.[15][16][17] Additionally, low-income tenants did not receive aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which resulted in the tenants dealing with toxic mold in their flood-damaged homes in 2016.[18]

New York

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Flooding at a parking garage at Ronkonkoma station

On the Southern State Parkway, 47 vehicles were inundated by floodwaters, trapping 52 people. The Long Island Rail Road experienced significant delays.[19] Flights were delayed at Macarthur Airport.[20] In Islip, 13.57 in (345 mm) of rain fell in a 24-hour period, setting a new 24-hour rainfall record for New York and breaking the previous record set during Hurricane Irene.[21][22][23] At Macarthur Airport, 5.37 in (136 mm) of rain fell in just one hour.[24] Portions of Interstate 495, New York State Route 27, New York State Route 135, the Southern State Parkway, and County Route 83 closed.[25][26][27][28] Numerous state parks, including Bethpage State Park, Brentwood State Park, Hither Hills State Park and Belmont State Park closed due to flooding.[29] A baseball game at Yankee Stadium between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles was postponed.[30] One fatality and one injury occurred after a weather-related crash on Interstate 495.[31] A state of emergency was declared for Suffolk County, and for the town of Brookhaven,[3] and Islip mayor Thomas Croci signed a state of emergency declaration.[20] Flood damage in the state totaled $35.2 million.[32]

Elsewhere

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In Maryland, flash flood emergencies were issued in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area, with the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and parts of the Baltimore Beltway closed due to flooding.[33] Portions of Interstate 295 closed between the Baltimore Beltway and Westport, Maryland.[33] Baltimore/Washington International Airport received 6.3 in (160 mm) of rain, which, in the Baltimore metropolitan area, was the second-wettest day on record.[33]

In Millville, New Jersey, basements were flooded and some collapsed.[34] Near Branford, Connecticut, vehicles were submerged by floodwaters on Interstate 95.[35] Significant flooding also occurred in Portland, Maine, where 6.44 in (164 mm) of rain fell,[36] becoming the wettest day in the city not related to a tropical cyclone.[37]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Unprecedented all time record rain swamps Long Island". MPR News. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  2. ^ "Historic Long Island Flash Flooding - August 12-13, 2014". NWS Upton, NY. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "'Storm Of Historic Proportions' Dumps 13 Inches Of Rain In Some Spots Of LI - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  4. ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "August 11, 2014 Historic Rainfall". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  5. ^ a b c Kuban, Kurt (August 16, 2016). "Toxic mold is new worry for Detroiters affected by 2014 flooding". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Heavy rain wreaks havoc in Detroit". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  7. ^ Burns, Gus (August 29, 2017). "A look back at the disastrous flooding that hit Detroit three years ago". MLive. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  8. ^ "Michigan: Two Die in Record Flooding (Published 2014)". New York Times. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  9. ^ a b "Record Rain and Flash Floods Cause Chaos on Detroit Highways – FloodList". floodlist.com. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  10. ^ "Downriver communities cleaning up after severe flooding". The News Herald. 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  11. ^ "Storm Events Database - Search Results | National Centers for Environmental Information | Search Results for All Counties in Michigan". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  12. ^ Lawrence, Eric D. (October 26, 2014). "Sewer overflows during storm hit 10 billion gallons". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Shepardson, David (September 25, 2014). "White House approves Michigan disaster declaration". The Detroit News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "Obama Declares Disaster In Detroit-Area Flooding - CBS Detroit". CBS News. September 25, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  15. ^ Spencer, Dave (May 24, 2016). "August 2014 flood victims sue cities; lawmakers try to stop lawsuits". FOX 2 Detroit. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  16. ^ Chambers, Jennifer (May 13, 2016). "Residents sue over Metro Detroit's 2014 flood". The Detroit News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  17. ^ Bartkowiak Jr., Dave (May 13, 2016). "Royal Oak, Clawson sued over historic 2014 flood". WDIV-TV. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Dalbey, Beth (August 20, 2016). "For the Poor, Historic 2014 Floods Still a Toxic Nightmare". Patch Media. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  19. ^ Santora, Marc; Dollinger, Arielle (2014-08-13). "Rain on Long Island Breaks a Record, Floods Highways and Sets Cars Afloat (Published 2014)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  20. ^ a b "Record-setting rainfall drenches Long Island, flooding roads". ABC7 New York. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  21. ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Historic Long Island Flash Flooding - August 12-13, 2014". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  22. ^ "Precipitation Record for New York State!". www.nrcc.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  23. ^ Erdman, Jon (December 29, 2014). "Weather.com's Top 14 Weather Stories of 2014". The Weather Channel. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  24. ^ Henson, Bob; Masters, Jeff (August 22, 2021). "Tropical Storm Henri slides into New England as prodigious rainmaker » Yale Climate Connections". Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  25. ^ Bashan, Yoni (August 13, 2014). "Record-Breaking Rain Floods Long Island, New York Region – WSJ". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  26. ^ Kearney, Laila (August 14, 2014). "New York suburbs hit by flash floods after record rainfall". Reuters. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  27. ^ "Strong Storms Shatter Records on Long Island, Cars Nearly Submerged". NBC News. August 13, 2014. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  28. ^ Record-setting rainfall drenches Long Island, flooding roads, ABC7NY, August 13, 2014
  29. ^ Long Island got 13 inches of rain, Democrat and Chronicle, August 13, 2014
  30. ^ "Yanks-O's rained out". ESPN.com. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  31. ^ "Record-Setting Storm Dumps 13 Inches of Rain on Long Island Town, Floods Roads, Strands Drivers". NBC New York. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  32. ^ "Storm Events Database - Search Results | National Centers for Environmental Information | Search Results for All Counties in New York". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  33. ^ a b c "Baltimore-Washington D.C. Area Flooded By Record Rainfall". The Weather Channel. August 13, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  34. ^ "One dead, several drivers rescued from stranded cars on flooded Long Island roads after record-setting rainstorm". NY Daily News. August 13, 2014. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  35. ^ "Wet Wednesday: Flooding rain swamps Northeast". Usatoday.com. August 13, 2014. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  36. ^ 'Mighty Storm' leaves big mess in Southern Maine, PressHerald, August 14, 2014
  37. ^ Detroit, Long Island, Baltimore Floods: Signs of a Wetter Future?, The Weather Channel
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