35-Year-Old New York Woman Dies After Being 'Swept Away' in Front of Fiancé amid '1,000-Year' Storm
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"The skies opened up and brought so much rain," said New York Governor Kathy Hochul
A woman died in New York on Sunday after being "swept away" by floodwaters as heavy rain battered the state.
The 35-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, "came out seeing that her house was taking on too much water," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said during a news conference in Highland Falls Monday.
Hochul added that the woman "was with with her dog" and that "her fiancée literally saw her swept away."
"The skies opened up and brought so much rain — nine inches of rain in this community that they're calling this a 1,000-year event," the governor said, adding that "it's only the second time ever that the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency."
According to The New York Times, Hochul said Sunday night that there were more "missing individuals" in Orange County and that one house had been swept away into a stream.
Due to "increasingly dangerous conditions," Hochul extended the state of emergency from Orange County to Ontario County on Sunday night.
As of Monday, county Executive Steve Neuhaus told Good Morning America that they believe "everybody" has been accounted for, although it's possible others were swept away, CNN reported.
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State Senator James Skoufis, who represents Orange County and was in the county Sunday evening, told the Times that the two major arteries in and out of town in Woodbury had been washed out.
"If you’re traveling within Orange County, good luck," he added. "Getting around is next to impossible right now."
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According to the Times, flash flood emergencies were issued for parts of the state, indicating not only that flooding is occurring but that it is posing a serious threat to human life.
On Sunday night, flash flood warnings were issued for New York City as well as Westchester, Clinton and Franklin counties.
The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services warned in a tweet that "continuing rounds of moderate-heavy rain are expected to produce widespread flash flooding in areas" of Eastern New York on Monday and Monday night.
Emergency management officials in New York City issued a warning that Monday's expected heavy rain could result in dangerously quick basement flooding, according to ABC affiliate WABC-7, urging residents to move to higher ground if necessary.
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