How to stay safe in NYC during flood: ‘Time for extreme caution’

This is a flood-pocalypse New Yorkers shouldn’t ignore.

Biblical downpours battered the Big Apple early Friday morning, inundating buses, swamping schools and turning streets into Venetian canals as NYC Mayor Eric Adams issued a state of emergency due to the potential for flash floods.

“This is time for heightened alertness and extreme caution,” declared Hizzoner during a press conference.

“We could possibly see 8 inches of rain before the day is over. This dangerous weather condition is not over, and I don’t want those gaps in heavy rain to give the appearance that [it is] over.”

Recent footage showed cars plowing through knee-deep water in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, with a whirlpool forming in the middle of the road like something out of a disaster movie.

Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on the torrential rain flooding NYC

In light of the Big Apple’s Atlantis-ification, experts have issued advice on how to navigate the city during the deluge.

Shelter in place

Rule No. 1: Summon your dormant COVID-19 pandemic survival skills — and stay at home.

Per the flood alerts blaring on people’s phones across the city, New Yorkers should not “attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.”

That means refraining from driving on flooded roads — a warning unfortunately that was ignored by many, as photos of submerged cars indicate.

“f you’re in a sinking vehicle, just about every vehicle made these days has powered windows, so once that vehicle is immersed — it’s going to short out the electrical system, so the windows won’t be able to open,” Robert Sinclair, senior manager of public affairs for AAA Northeast, told Gothamist. “You’ve got the pressure of the weight of the water on the door. So, there’s really no good way of dealing with a submerged vehicle and trying to escape from it.”

He added that just “12 inches of moving water” is powerful enough to pick up a vehicle — even an SUV or pickup truck — and carry it away.

Pedestrians should also remain cautious, as just 6 inches of moving water “can make you fall,” the National Weather Service warns. “If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.”

Don’t ride the subway

Just like using an elevator using a fire, riding subterranean transportation amid a flood is inadvisable.

The storm notably drenched parts of the city’s subway system, turning a staircase at the Grand Army Plaza station on the 2/3 line in Brooklyn into a cascading waterfall, as seen in a bystander’s dramatic cellphone video.

Due to the deluge, subway lines citywide are offering extremely limited service with specific shutdowns and delays updated regularly on the New York City Transit X account.

“There is only extremely limited subway service available because of heavy flooding,” they wrote Friday morning. “Service is suspended at many stations. Please stay home if you don’t need to travel.

It’s not just the subway system that’s affected. Service remains suspended on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines in both directions between Manhattan and the Bronx as a result of severe flooding caused by today’s storm, Metro-North announced on its X account. “Customers are strongly advised to to delay traveling, if at all possible.”

Take the high ground

In that vein, Gothamites should seek higher ground to escape the rising floodwaters, per Ready.Gov.

That means going to the top floors of a building amid basement deluges — a common phenomenon during this particular storm — although officials advised not climbing onto the roof unless absolutely necessary.

Of the 13 people who perished in Hurricane Ida in 2021, 11 had reportedly become trapped in inundated basements.

Avoid frolicking in the floodwaters

Pools of water left by the flood may seem danger-free but don’t even think about swimming in them.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, floodwaters can contain contaminants ranging from debris to industrial waste — and even raw sewage.

Last fall, flesh-eating infections spiked across Florida as residents were exposed to standing waters and floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Some of the bacteria were reportedly caused by fecal matter leaking into the water from the sewer system.

Check on at-risk individuals

A flood isn’t a free-for-all.

Experts advise people to look out for others who may not receive information quickly enough, such as those in ground-level dwellings.

Also at risk are those who need to travel, such as parents picking up kids from school.