Gov. Blames Poor Drainage for NYC Mess

Torrential rains led to 'total outage' of transit system, Spitzer says
By Heather McPherson,  Newser User
Posted Aug 8, 2007 8:50 PM CDT
Gov. Blames Poor Drainage for NYC Mess
Commuters on the Upper West Side of Manhattan wait in a stalled subway during the morning rush hour Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007. Most subway lines in the city were experiencing delays or diversions after torrential rain caused flooding. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)   (Associated Press)

An inadequate drainage system and little advance warning left New York City transit vulnerable to this morning's powerful storm, Gov. Eliot Spitzer said. The New York Times reports that today's transit meltdown, which disabled or delayed every city subway line and snarled the morning commute, was the third such debilitating event in seven months.

Spitzer ordered a review of the drainage system, which he said was equipped to handle rainfall of 1½ inches per hour but got twice that amount this morning. Hundreds of city workers were still dealing tonight with the aftermath, which might have caused millions in damages. (More New York City stories.)

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