MTA Says Subway System Ready for Heavy Rain as More Storms Approach NYC

As another round of heavy rain heads toward New York City, MTA officials say the agency is fully prepared to respond and minimize disruptions across the subway system.

Speaking Tuesday at the MTA's Hydraulics Facility in Downtown Brooklyn, MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said crews have been mobilized ahead of the forecasted storms. Water pump rooms, emergency response trucks, pump-equipped trains, and debris-clearing equipment have all been positioned and are ready for deployment if flooding occurs.

The agency is also clearing drains, covering vents in flood-prone locations, and inspecting emergency generators in preparation for the expected downpours.

Lieber noted that the MTA pumps an average of 13 million gallons of water out of the subway system every day using its network of 286 pump rooms, but acknowledged that increasingly intense storms are placing greater strain on the city's infrastructure.

According to the MTA, the biggest challenge is not pumping water out of the subway, but the city's sewer system becoming overwhelmed during torrential rainfall, leaving the water with nowhere to go and causing flooding inside stations.

Following dramatic scenes last weekend that showed subway stations inundated with water, the MTA said it is working with City Hall on long-term solutions, including expanding sewer capacity, increasing connections between city sewers and the MTA pumping system, raising street curbs near subway grates, and installing elevated ventilation structures to reduce flooding.

The agency's 2025-2029 Capital Plan includes $700 million for climate resiliency projects, including modernizing pump rooms, raising station entrances, and installing additional flood protection measures throughout the subway system.

Officials urged riders to monitor service updates as severe weather moves into the region over the coming days.

photos: Marc A. Hermann / MTA