A state of emergency has been declared on Long Island following “catastrophic” flooding. The flooding destroyed roads, damaged cars and displaced hundreds of people from their homes in the middle of the night.

The city and county government are still assessing the extent of the damage in Suffolk County, but initial estimates are already in the tens of millions due to the almost 25 centimeters of rainfall overnight. You can see the amount of precipitation here.

Preliminary reports indicate rainfall of up to 7.5 centimetres per hour was measured in the region. A flood warning for the district remained in effect until Monday afternoon. Check the latest active alerts here.

Some of the most dramatic damage was seen in Stony Brook, where severe flooding caused Harbor Road to collapse around 3 a.m. Brookhaven Mayor Dan Panico documented some of the destruction on social media. The “busy” road, he said, connects Brookhaven Town to Smithtown.

“The entire Mill Pond at Avalon emptied onto the now collapsed roadway,” he posted on Facebook.

A team of city and county officials met with City Administrator Edward Romaine on Monday morning as he declared a state of emergency and requested state and federal aid to support reconstruction efforts.

STORM UPDATE

Suffolk County was hit hard overnight by the remnants of Ernesto. I spent the morning assessing the damage and will be officially signing an emergency order shortly. Please stay tuned for further updates. pic.twitter.com/CGJ0JMI8QA

— Edward Romaine, Suffolk County Executive (@ExecEdRomaine) 19 August 2024

Romaine described a sweeping and devastating blow to the county. Countless homes were submerged, resulting in the destruction of immense private property, he said. At nearby Stony Brook University, about 150 students were forced to flee their homes and were in the process of finding temporary housing.

“I am signing an emergency declaration that will hopefully bring some relief to our local businesses and homeowners,” Romaine told reporters.

Teams of inspectors and surveyors will be out throughout the day assessing the damage and evaluating the extent of the devastation. They will be reviewing reports of widespread damage, including reports of homes allegedly falling into sinkholes.

“The north coast was devastated,” Panico said at the press conference. “We are grateful that no one died, that is the most important thing.”

Brookhaven Township residents and business owners are asked to call 631-451-TOWN for assistance.

The highest rainfall amounts initially occurred in places like Miller Place and Stony Brook, with Stony Brook receiving about 180 mm of rainfall in just three hours.

Counties of Suffolk and Nassau

*National Weather Service, New York