After days of smoky skies and high temperatures, the Big Apple and surrounding areas were hit with severe thunderstorms, downpours and flash flooding on Saturday.
Two to four inches of rain had fallen by Saturday afternoon, with up to an inch an hour expected, according to the National Weather Service. A flood watch is in effect for all five boroughs of New York City, southern Westchester County and northeastern New Jersey until 2 a.m. Sunday, the service said.
“Flooding may be localized, resulting in travel disruptions, basement flooding and water rescues,” the National Weather Service in New York said.
The heaviest rain fell in lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn and Queens, city emergency management officials said. Residents of basement apartments were urged to move to the upper floors.
“This storm is not over yet, and the mayor continues to urge residents and visitors to our city to remain vigilant and stay safe,” Jeremy Edwards, a spokesman for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, said Saturday afternoon.
In the Bronx, Saturday’s Yankees-Dodgers game has been postponed and will instead be played Sunday in a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, MLB said in a press release.
The video showed several submerged vehicles on the roadway above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, with two men standing in front of the windshield of a white truck. Another man was seen in waist-deep water. In some areas, sidewalks were filled with muddy streams. Video from Woodside, Queens, shows streets under several feet of water.
Flooding in Queens submerges cars up to their tires
Flooding in Queens submerges cars up to their tires
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Downpours contributed to flight delays and cancellations at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports ahead of the World Cup finals in New Jersey on Sunday. All three airports had ground stops Saturday night during the storm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Heavy rains also hit New Jersey, where flash flood warnings were issued for several counties. In Newark, police and firefighters responded to calls of five vehicles stuck in heavy water, rescuing drivers and passengers with no reported injuries, Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned of possible power outages, downed trees and road closures.
“I remind everyone to take this weather seriously,” Hochul said in a statement Friday.
The rains began as people in the Northeast breathed in dangerous air carried by thick, choking smoke from Canada’s wildfires. There were about 1,000 active fires in Canada as of Saturday, according to government data.
Rain, shifting winds and a cold front should eventually help clear the smoke, although air quality may not immediately improve across the board.
The city’s subway system experienced disruptions in several locations after water spilled onto tracks, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
As expected, the bad weather created chaos on the roads.
All lanes of the Long Island Expressway at 188th Street were blocked in both directions due to flooding for a couple of hours in the afternoon before reopening, according to the New York Police Department. The Clearview Expressway at Northern Boulevard also had all lanes blocked in both directions for a short time.
Several rounds of severe thunderstorms are expected to inundate the area through Saturday evening, worsening flooding and bringing damaging winds and potential tornadoes, the weather service said.
This story has been updated with additional information.