Hochul described the overnight massive floods in the state and city of New York, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, “one for record books” and “absolutely impressive in scale.”
“Unprecedented is almost an understatement,” he told CNN.
At the same time, Hochul and other Democrats offered terrible warnings that the rains that have hit the city in recent days are a sign of the growing threat posed by climate change: identifying the need to address infrastructure challenges as a priority for the state.
To underscore the accelerating threat of the extreme weather, Hochul told reporters Thursday morning that the storm broke a record rainfall in New York City that had been set just a week earlier.
“This tells me that there are no more unpredictable cataclysmic events. We have to anticipate it in advance and be prepared,” Hochul said.
“We have no choice, my friends. The future we were talking about in terrible terms: this future is now, it is happening. We are losing life, life; we are losing property and we cannot continue on this path,” he said. dit.
Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires that have hit the nation in recent days have led Democrats to launch new calls for drastic action to address the growing frequency of extreme weather caused by global warming.
“Global warming is ready,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said at a news conference Thursday. “When you get two record rainfall in a week it’s not just a coincidence. When you get all the changes we’ve seen over time, it’s no coincidence. Global warming is ready and it’s going to get worse, it’s getting worse, unless we do something about it. “
Schumer’s comments were echoed by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s environment subcommittee.
“I had cousins of mine who are not this political text who would say to me,‘ What do we do about the climate crisis? “Ida brought home many Americans who must act now and bravely to end fossil fuel subsidies and have a clean energy standard for the safety of our communities,” Khanna told CNN. and nations “.
Local New York officials similarly called on the nation’s leaders in Washington to act.
Queens District President Donovan Richards said “we need Washington, DC, to move with some level or urgency” and that “these lives could have been saved.”
“Now we’re in a new world, let’s be forceful,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
He added: “This is the biggest wake-up call we could receive.”
Meanwhile, for Hochul, the New York crisis offered a window into his approach to management in a time of crisis – and one that differs from the top-down style of Cuomo, his predecessor, who often officials premises with strong weapons and kept Blasio, his longtime rival, from appearing with him at press conferences. Hochul appeared Thursday with de Blasio and Richards.
“A new administration – my administration – we don’t govern by press conference,” Hochul told reporters at a press conference, in a clear shot at Cuomo. “Yes, we are here today to answer questions, but I want to assure you that it is not just about today, but about what we do tomorrow and the day after and the day after.”
“You’ll see a different tone: a different era of collaboration,” he said. “And I served as a board member for 14 years. I know what it takes to get the job done. Not only do you show up one day, but you show up until the job is done.”
Hochul told reporters he was talking to President Joe Biden and that Biden told him to “tell me what you need.”
Hochul urged travelers to stay home and “give us time to completely restore the trains.” He warned New Yorkers not to venture on the street, saying it is “dangerous” due to falling power lines and debris.
“There will be a massive clean-up. I would continue to urge people to stay home. Check with your neighbors, call everyone and make sure they are okay, because people are amazed by what happened last night.” said Hochul. CNN.
He added that New York State is “prepared” and “accustomed to disasters, but one cannot anticipate how much rain fell from the sky last night.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Kristina Sgueglia, Madeline Holcombe and Jason Hanna contributed to this report.