The old song says it never rains in California. The same isn’t true for New York.
SAG-AFTRA said today that it has canceled all NYC pickets as a state of emergency was declared in the city amid heavy downpours that caused serious flooding and canceled some local events.
“Due to the heavy rain and possible flooding there will be no SAG-AFTRA pickets in New York City today, Friday, Sept. 29,” the union said on social media. “Stay safe and see you on the picket lines next week.”
CNN reports that the borough of Brooklyn got a full month’s worth of rain in just three hours today, and Mayor Eric Adams told locals to brace themselves for more. “Today’s weather isn’t done with us yet,” he tweeted. “We might see up to eight inches of rain by tomorrow morning.”
Some local movie theaters are closed amid flooding, and there also have been some flight disruptions at JFK Airport, which got a remarkable 7.22 inches of rain today.
Cars were stuck in floodwater on the FDR highway Friday in New York City (Getty Images)
ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images
With amid Tropical Storm Ophelia and a separate, unnamed coastal storm behind it, local news was devoting most of its airtime to the rainstorms. The nets were airing footage of flooded subways and warnings of troubled Friday commutes. Most of the heaviest rainfall was outside of Manhattan, in particular falling hard in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.
As of Friday afternoon local time, Broadway was taking a show-must-go-on approach. “Broadway remains open this evening and our shows are set to perform,” the Broadway League said in a statement. “Should the weather conditions worsen, we will update accordingly. For more information, please consult each show’s official website or the website of the theatre itself.”
The rains also have forced the postponement of tonight New York Mets home game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. The game will be made up as part of a Saturday doubleheader. Thursday’s Mets game against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning because of unceasing rain.
The nasty weather also forced postponement of the preseason NHL game between the New York Rangers and New Islanders at Madison Square Garden. The game will face off Saturday instead.
