The Gowanus Canal Flooded Yesterday. Here’s What It Looked Like
Yesterday, around the early afternoon time, the sky began pouring buckets of rain over most of New York City. After most National Weather Service advisories had flashed on people’s cell phones, many streets across the borough were flooding. And the Gowanus Canal–that fetid, toxic-swamp of a river that crawls through much of south Brooklyn, followed suit. By around 2pm it was overflowing heavily into the neighborhood’s streets.
Many posts shared on social media show cars slogging through knee-high
water.
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The National Weather Service reported that 1.5 inches of rain fell in the area during the downpour.
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The Village Voice reported yesterday that the flooding began to dissipate at around 6pm, and traffic began to resume its normal pace near 9th street yesterday evening in Gowanus.
The Gowanus Canal is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup project, because it’s one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country. Today is a nice, mild and sunny day, which is a good thing, at least for the flood’s sake, because it will soon dry up. One thing is clear though, Gowanus is probably going to stink to the high-heavens this afternoon when the sun starts beating close to 80 degrees.
Gas masks, anyone?
Follow Sam Blum on Twitter @Blumnessmonster