The subway system is not a submarine’: MTA head explains flooding issues during Ida
NEW YORK (AP) — Rain poured into the subway system on Wednesday night, bringing it to a stop.
The MTA pumps 14 million gallons of water
from subway stations on a typical day, but days with significant rain offer a problem. According to MTA Acting Chair Janno Lieber, the subway system is shallow in most locations.
‘The subway system is not a submarine’: MTA head explains flooding issues during Ida
He said, “The subway system is not a submarine.”
“On the street level, you have utilities and other operations that have pierced the subway’s roof.”
The fragility of NYC infrastructure has been highlighted by flash floods and other recent bad weather.
418 miles of the MTA’s 665 kilometers of subway track are underground, making them flood-prone.
He stated that problems at ground level are often the source of flooding below ground.
Water floods the subway system when the drainage and sewage systems become overburdened.
Flash floods hit southwest London in one day
In recent years, the MTA cleaned trash
from nearly 40,000 street grates as part of a subway action plan.
The grates are necessary for ventilation, however, they are often clogged with trash and leaves.
“That is very difficult to prevent,” Lieber added.
The subway system is not a submarine’: MTA head explains flooding issues during Ida