Heavy Rain Leaves New York Underwater
Torrential thunderstorms brought parts of New York City to a standstill on Saturday, triggering widespread flash flooding that inundated streets, disrupted subway services and caused major delays at the region’s airports just one day before the FIFA World Cup final in nearby New Jersey.
Videos shared across social media captured dramatic scenes of commuters wading through knee-deep water inside subway stations, with some using trash bags to cover their legs as floodwater poured onto platforms and tracks. Elsewhere, residents attempted to protect their vehicles by sweeping water away with brooms, while pedestrians improvised rain protection using shopping bags.
The National Weather Service said between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell across much of the city by Saturday afternoon, with rainfall rates reaching as high as one inch per hour. The heaviest downpours affected lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn and parts of Queens, prompting emergency officials to urge people living in basement apartments to move to higher ground.
Floodwaters also crippled road traffic across the city. Sections of the Long Island Expressway near 188th Street were temporarily closed in both directions, while flooding forced additional closures along the Clearview Expressway. On roads above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, several vehicles became stranded in deep water, with some motorists forced to abandon their cars and wade through waist-high floodwaters.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported significant disruptions across the subway network as water flooded tracks and stations, affecting multiple train lines.
Air travel was also heavily impacted. Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled at LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, arriving flights at JFK experienced average delays exceeding 90 minutes.
The severe weather comes after days of poor air quality across the Northeast caused by smoke drifting south from nearly 1,000 active wildfires in Canada. Forecasters said the rain and an approaching cold front are expected to improve air quality, although officials cautioned that conditions may take time to fully recover.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to remain vigilant, warning that heavy rain could continue to cause flooding, power outages, fallen trees and road closures through the weekend.
