Wed Jul 16 19:50:00 UTC 2025: **NYC Subway System Flooded During Intense Rainfall, Prompting Calls for Infrastructure Upgrades**
**NEW YORK CITY** – A deluge of rain overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure Monday night, leading to dramatic flooding in the subway system and prompting renewed calls for upgrades to sewer and stormwater drainage. Shocking video captured by riders on the No. 1 train line near 23rd and 28th streets showed water gushing into subway cars, forcing passengers to stand on seats to escape the rising levels.
According to MTA CEO and Chair Janno Lieber, the extreme rainfall, clocking in at over two inches in one hour and the second-highest one-hour rainfall ever recorded in Central Park, exceeded the capacity of the city’s drainage system. “When you hit an inch and three-quarters in an hour, the city sewer system gets backed up and overwhelmed and tunnels into the stations,” Lieber explained. Manhole covers were even popped by the pressure, creating “sewer geysers” in some areas.
While the flooding caused service disruptions on the West Side for about an hour and a half, Lieber praised the MTA’s response and the hard work of its employees, stating that service was largely restored by 11 p.m. and operating normally on Tuesday morning across the subway, LIRR, and Metro-North lines.
The incident has reignited discussions about the need to increase the city’s sewer and stormwater drainage capacity. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has invested significantly in maintaining the system. DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala acknowledged the limitations. Aggarwala stated, “We can’t protect against absolutely everything and this is a long term project – there’s no way around it.”
The MTA and DEP are reportedly working together to identify key locations for capacity improvements. The extreme weather event highlights the ongoing challenges of maintaining and upgrading aging infrastructure in the face of increasingly intense weather patterns.
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