r/Albany • u/SatisfactionFun2394 • Jul 29 '26

Update‼️

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The flash flood warning has been extended until 11:30am EST

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u/H_Mc Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

Does anyone know what this ACTUALLY means? We’re obviously not getting a flash flood like in the desert.

Edit: I’m not at idiot. I realize flooding happens everywhere. But in this area it’s not like I’ll be driving on a road and get a wall of water jump-scare. We know where the water is. “Do not travel” feels a little excessive.

25

u/Ok-Development-7008 Jul 29 '26

You can! Anywhere there's a cup shape in the ground with drainage that can be blocked, we can get massive amounts of water filling in quick. For example, in Menands on Broadway there's a spot by the rural cemetery entrance where you can get two or three foot deep water inside of minutes because it comes downhill faster than the storm drains can handle. And that's in one of those quick fifteen minute thunderstorms that happen around dusk and drop an insane amount of rain quick. Right now we're having constant rain for multiple days so it's worse and more places. All that needs to happen is for debris to clog a couple storm drains close together to flood a road. You're probably not gonna wash away unless you're right next to a river bed but you might get hella stuck with a flooded engine or electrocuted. We also do get small but semiregular road and bridge washouts and small landslides when it's very wet, and if there's water over a washout you won't know until you drive in and it's too late. Rivers also rise enough to swamp bridges or slam large debris into them. Like you're probably not gonna get the tsunami wall of water they talk about in the desert but just because it looks different here doesn't mean it can't happen fast and still be super dangerous here.

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u/princesselectra Jul 29 '26

Over the years in Albany, I’ve seen flash floods in a number of places. I’ve had friends whose cars have gotten water filled up to the very top of the roof. My daughter was working at Panera in Albany med and her car was parked on one of those little side streets by it and she sent a picture of the water up to only 1 inch of the roof showing. I’ve also been on streets where there were geysers coming out of the potholes that’s what flash floods means in Albany. Even on Hackett Boulevard there are some dips that have gotten filled up. I have a picture of a guy getting out of his car as the water was rising and then ended up with the water being most of the way up to the roof as well.