AccuWeather Provides Most Advance Notice, Most Accurate and Earliest Warning for New York City Flash Flooding
AccuWeather’s exclusive Flash Flood Threat and Flash Flood Imminent AccuWeather Alerts™ provided people and businesses with more valuable, actionable information, enabling better preparation and helping them stay safer.
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The day after pouring rain caused deadly flash floods in New York City, windy weather took over across much of the Northeast.
Heavy rainfall on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, led to flash flooding across New York City. Several water rescues were required, as water-filled basements and low-lying areas were affected and major highways were flooded.
AccuWeather’s forecasts and warnings were more detailed and provided more advance notice than all other known sources of the flash flooding threat. AccuWeather was the first to forecast the potential for impacts three days in advance, well before all other known sources issued any warnings or advisories. AccuWeather’s exclusive Flash Flood Threat and Flash Flood Imminent AccuWeather Alerts™ provided people and businesses with more valuable, actionable information, enabling better preparation and helping them stay safer.
>> Better prepare your business and keep your employees and customers safer with AccuWeather's SkyGuard® Severe Weather Warnings. Contact AccuWeather today for a free demo.
On Tuesday, Oct. 27 – Three Days in Advance
AccuWeather’s New York City forecast—available on all platforms—was the first known sourceâ¯to forecastâ¯that the rain could cause issues on streets â¯across the New York City area on Thursday.
- AccuWeather Forecast: periods of rain; there can be ponding on streets and highways
On Wednesday, Oct. 29 – One Day in Advance
AccuWeather predicted heavy rain and that flooding could occur, especially on streets and highways.
- The Weather Channel did not mention heavy rain or any other impacts just forecasting “windy with rain likely; thunder possible.”
- Tomorrow.io also did not mention any heavy rain or other impacts, just forecasting “cloudy in the morning and then mainly rainy.”
On Thursday, Oct. 30 – Day of the Event
AccuWeather forecasts consistently highlighted the flooding risk hours before any National Weather Service (NWS) warnings were issued. People and businesses relying solely on NWS warningsâ¯or warnings from all other known sources, which repackage NWS warnings, would have been less prepared for the flooding.
- 7:55 a.m. ET – AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning Meteorologists issued a Severe Weather Threat: Flash Flood, alerting that flash flooding was possible due to heavy rainfall later in the day.
- A Flash Flood Watch was never issued by the NWS nor any other source prior to the flooding.
- 3:12 p.m. ET – AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning Meteorologists issued Dangerous Weather Imminent! Flash Flooding, indicating that flash flooding was imminent and might already be occurring, exclusively providing 15 minutes of ADDITIONAL advance notice compared to warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS) and all other sources. The warning correctly stated “water may rapidly flood streets.”
- 3:27 p.m. ET – NWS Flash Flood Warning issued,â¯15 minutes laterâ¯than AccuWeather.
AccuWeather’sâ¯exclusive alerts provided critical advance noticeâ¯and clearer communication of flood risk compared to all other known sources.
>> Learn more about AccuWeather’s Proven Superior AccuracyTM
A cyclist rides through floodwaters during a rainstorm in New York, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/David Martin)
AccuWeather Forecasts vs. NWS and The Weather Channel Forecasts
On AccuWeather Forecasts on Thursday, Oct. 30:
In New York, AccuWeather forecasts are not only available on AccuWeather’s app and website but across WABC-TV and 1010 WINS radio. AccuWeather users received forecasts that contained details such as:
- Windy with rain, heavy at times
- There can be ponding on streets and highways.
- Flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas, mainly during the late afternoon and evening hours.
- Fallen leaves covering some drains could increase the flooding risk.
- Unlike AccuWeather’s forecasts, the NWS forecastâ¯did not reference flooding,â¯did not highlight timing or impact andâ¯did not issue a Flood Watchâ¯prior to the event. AccuWeather was theâ¯only known sourceâ¯to provide explicit and actionable flood risk information before flooding began.
- NWS Forecast: “Showers this morning, then showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.
AccuWeather’s earlier warnings benefited AccuWeather For Business SkyGuard® customers.
Study after study has shown that AccuWeather provides more accurate, and often earlier notifications and greater detail on significant and extreme weather events that affect businesses and threaten the health, welfare and lives of individuals. AccuWeather has proven to be the most trusted and most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings.
This is another example of the more than 100 events every year in which AccuWeather forecasts with proven Superior Accuracy™ and clearer descriptions of weather impacts, help people, communities and businesses better prepare and stay safer.
Why take unnecessary risks? Better prepare your business and keep your employees and customers safer with AccuWeather's SkyGuard® Severe Weather Warnings. Contact AccuWeather today.
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