Total economic and insured losses from severe storms and flooding that hit several regions including the New York metro area in late September could reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars, Aon PLC said in a report Friday.
Remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia, a high-pressure system over eastern Canada and high tides combined to bring widespread flooding to the northeast U.S. on Sept. 28-29, Aon said.
This atmospheric setup helped funnel large amounts of moisture over a limited area, especially southern New York state, resulting in storms producing continuous, heavy downpours.
New York City and areas immediately east saw rain totals exceed five inches, while some spots such as JFK Airport and Westchester County, New York, recorded over eight inches of rain, which stands among the wettest days on record for the metro area, Aon said.
Significant urban flash flooding prompted multiple state of emergency declarations from government officials. Numerous businesses and homes were damaged, multiple water rescues were carried out and transportation was severely disrupted due to flood waters. The floods also impacted New Jersey and Connecticut.
Other areas throughout the U.S. saw notable road and infrastructure damage due to flooding, with Palm Bay and Titusville, Florida, and the Texarkana region in Texas and Arkansas which saw multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms Oct. 2-4, among the communities most impacted.