Columbia professor explains how to stop subway flooding
This question-and-answer article is written by Klaus Hans Jacob, a professor of geophysics at Columbia University, who wrote a pro-bono analysis of the New York City subway system’s vulnerability to flooding. The study was published shortly before Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012. Here, he points out that when the NYC subway was built in the early 20th century, nobody had torrential rains in mind, but there are “fixes” that can be done. While the MTA is already doing some, much more needs to be done.
Are instances of major subway floods increasing? And if so, why?
In New York, over the last month or so, we have had three subway floods – first due to a heavy downpour, then from Tropical Storm Henri and now Hurricane Ida. Meanwhile, we have seen similar floods in cities across America, and the world.