Overview

• Torrential downpours on Monday night inundated at least 45 stations, halting trains on multiple routes and triggering widespread reroutes and delays
• Social media videos showed platforms submerged and water leaking into train cars, forcing passengers to stand on seats to stay dry
• MTA Chair Janno Lieber warned that the city’s stormwater system cannot clear rainfall exceeding about 1.5 inches per hour, leading to sewer backups in the tunnels
• City crews have cleared drains around roughly 45 historically flood-prone stations, but experts say flash floods now occur annually rather than every five years
• Officials estimate that a comprehensive resilience program would cost about $30 billion and take 15–20 years to overhaul the underground drainage infrastructure