Storm Henri causes travel chaos as Northeast hit by heavy rains
23 August 2021
Henri weakened to a depression Sunday night, after earlier making landfall as a tropical storm in Rhode Island knocking out power to over 100,000 homes, causing flight cancelations and bringing record rainfall to New York City.
Yes but: It's expected to continue to unleashing heavy rains and triggering flooding across parts of southern New England and the Northern Mid-Atlantic States Through Monday, the National Hurricane Center warned.
In addition to being the wettest day since 2014... the 1.94" of rain that fell from 10pm to 11pm at Central Park last night was the wettest hour on record for New York City.
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) August 22, 2021
More rain fell in that one hour than any other since record keeping began. #Henri#NYCwx
The big picture: Airports appear to have remained open after Henri made landfall on Sunday afternoon, but more than 1,000 flights in or out of or within the U.S. were canceled, per the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
- There were reports of widespread road flooding across New York City and New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
What they're saying: President Biden said Sunday that the government had mobilized resources to help the afflicted areas, in additon to him already approving emergency declarations for Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.
- "This storm has the potential for widespread consequences across the region," Biden said.
In photos: Henri lashes Northeast
Evacuated residents look toward floating debris following a flash flood from Tropical Storm Henri, in Helmetta, New Jersey. Photo: Tom Brenner/AFP via Getty Images
A rescue crew member wades through high waters following a flash flood in Helmetta, New Jersey. Photo: Tom Brenner/AFP via Getty Image
A woman stands in a flooded street with her boots during Tropical Storm Henri in Groton, Connecticut, on Sunday. Photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Fallen trees caused many power lines to break as strong winds tore weak branches apart and uprooted root systems from the ground during Tropical Storm Henri in New London, Connecticut. Photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
People cross the street as rain falls in Times Square as Tropical Storm Henri approaches. Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
A person walks on a flooded road during Tropical Storm Henri on Sunday in Westerly, Rhode Island. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.