A video depicting flooding in the New York subway system has been widely shared online, falsely attributed to the recent flash floods in the city. However, India TV's Fact Check team has determined that this video is from September 2021, captured during Hurricane Ida, a destructive Atlantic hurricane. The video, which has been circulating with the misleading claim that it shows the recent flooding in New York City, is actually a year-old footage from Hurricane Ida's impact. Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage, resulting in 55 direct and 32 indirect fatalities as a tropical cyclone and incurring approximately $75 billion in damages, according to the National Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report.
Flash floods struck various parts of New York City on September 29, 2023, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency. Areas such as the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens were particularly affected, leading to viral videos depicting submerged cars and waterlogged streets.
India TV conducted a fact-check
To verify the authenticity of the video in question, India TV conducted a fact-check. We conducted a keyword search on Facebook using "New York subway flooded," which led them to a post by American news outlet ABC News from September 2, 2021. This post contained footage that closely resembled the viral video and was captioned, "Water cascades onto a New York City subway train as remnants of Hurricane Ida bring flooding rain to the Northeast."
Comparison of keyframes from the viral video and the one shared by ABC News revealed that they were identical. Additionally, both videos displayed the same train number and station name, "Jefferson Street." The original video was attributed to 'Alex Etling via Storyful.'
Further investigation found that the user, Alex Etling, had indeed shared the video on X on September 2, 2021, with the caption, "Getting a bit of rain in New York City tonight…" Confirmation from Alex Etling in the comments section substantiated that they had captured the video.
Major news outlets, including NBC News and USA Today, also featured this footage during the same time frame, reinforcing its connection to Hurricane Ida in 2021.
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