A Flooded Subway Entrance — a Climate Change Experiment by New York Authorities

The situation seemed weird and inexplicable for many residents, as there was no rainfall in New York that day.

The NYC flooding was made by the city authorities. The MTA NYC organized this experiment to test the strength of the underground protection system and equipment designed to protect the Brooklyn Subway from heavy storms and rain. According to the forecasts of meteorologists, they can cover the country due to global climate changes.

This test was held by parliament to adapt high-tech equipment to the metro structure. New Yorkers were excited about what was happening. Most of them even started thinking about the impact of global warming on the environment and their living conditions.

The New York flooding experiment showed that in the event of a real global flood, special “flexible gates” close the entrance to the metro station and can withstand a layer of water more than 14 m feet. During the experiment, when the Broadway station entrance was completely flooded, the room inside the station remained dry. This powerful protection system will help preserve the city’s infrastructure in case of dramatic climate change.

New Yorkers began to actively discuss in the social networks the current surreal situation, trying to get explanations from the city authorities.

— At first, it seemed to me that all stations could be flooded, and the cataclysm is global. But soon I saw the behavior of other citizens who were waiting for the subway to open, and seemed so calm, as was typical of Americans. The situation turned out to be quite strange,” — a Brooklyn resident wrote in his Twitter.

At the same time, the rest of the station entrances worked as usual.

After some time, MTA NYC explained:

— “What we are doing now in the subway is related to climate change, which is likely to span the globe. Climate change is expected to lead to increased rainfall, higher sea levels and more frequent and intense storms in the NY region”.

The decision to protect the subway from floods was made by city officials after Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012 when salty seawater penetrated the metro building and flooded several stations up to the ceiling. Floodwaters disrupted two Long Island railroad pipes between Manhattan and Queens and most of the tunnels, bridges, internal metro structures,  and bus stations were damaged.

As a result, the city authorities initiated to improve transport sustainability to natural disasters. Over the past seven years, the main transport systems of NYC have been modernized. Portable ventilation covers and underwater doors weighing 3000 pounds were installed in 3500 points where water could enter the metro system. 

Work on the preparation of the New York subway to confront the nature force continues. Such functional checks of the “flexible gates” will soon become familiar to residents of the city.