Why the Subway Still Floods in New York After Billions in Renovations

The New York City subway was inundated with rain on Monday night from severe storms, upending rush-hour commutes as water gushed onto platforms and trains and, in one station, shot up from a manhole like a geyser.

The subway system, which is more than a century old, is relied on by millions of passengers daily and weaves together the city’s neighborhoods. But it has a longstanding infrastructure problem that is only getting worse as rainfall becomes heavier and more frequent because of climate change.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the transit system, has already invested billions of dollars into climate resiliency measures. But there is no easy fix for subway flooding, and it could take years of cooperation among various government agencies to keep the subways dry, transit experts said.

On Monday, 20 stations were closed while 16 others had delays or partial closures. And as the rainfall deluged some stations but left others relatively unscathed, it demonstrated the unpredictable and hyperlocal nature of how flash flooding affects the city.

Riders like Larry Oquendo, 67, prepare for the worst when they see heavy rain in the forecast. A few years ago, he was stuck at a flooded station where people and rats alike scampered up the stairs to avoid the rising waters.

On Monday night, he canceled his plans to get on the subway. “I knew it was going to be bad,” Mr. Oquendo said. “So I ain’t traveling.”