Mayor Eric Adams Criticized Again for Response to Severe Weather as City Is Deluged

[Celerity]

Mayor Eric Adams did not publicly discuss the coming storm until nearly 24 hours after weather officials first warned of potential flash flooding in New York.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/nyregion/mayor-adams-flooding-response.html

https://archive.ph/0nAt6


Mayor Eric Adams did not hold a news conference or address the public until almost noon on Friday after large swaths of the city were already under water and half the subway was suspended.Credit...Hans Pennink/Associated Press

Less than four months ago, Mayor Eric Adams was widely criticized for not giving New Yorkers adequate warning when the city’s air quality worsened rapidly. He shook off the critics, insisting that his administration could not have been expected to do more. On Thursday, as it became clear that a major storm was about to hit New York, the mayor had the opportunity to take a different approach.

Gov. Kathy Hochul acted first, telling residents to be prepared for flash floods, and warning in a radio interview Thursday evening of “havoc throughout the downstate region.” State transit officials also held a news conference on Thursday to discuss the coming storm.

Mr. Adams, however, did not hold a news conference or address the public until almost noon on Friday after large swaths of the city were already under water and service had been suspended on half the subway system. By contrast, Mr. Adams attended a campaign fund-raiser Thursday night at a scenic restaurant along the Hudson River in Manhattan to celebrate his 63rd birthday earlier this month. Suggested contributions were listed at $2,100.

Link to tweet

His office released its first statement about the storm, a “travel advisory” warning of the heavy rains, via email at 11 p.m. Nearly 12 hours later, just before the mayor was scheduled to address reporters for the first time — and 23 hours after the National Weather Service warned of flash flooding in the city — the Adams administration asked New Yorkers to “stay home if you don’t need to travel.”

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