Pounding rain brought delayed trains, canceled planes and whole lot of pain for travelers Sunday night.
The ferocious thunderstorm that hit the tri-state area flooded roadways and caused long lines at airports as 3 to 5 inches of rain were dumped across the region. Shocking footage and images showed cars battling rising waters as city officials sounded the alarm across the five boroughs.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for northwest Suffolk County early Monday as between 4 to 6 inches of rain have fallen.
“This is a life threatening situation. Seek higher ground now!” the NWS in New York posted on X.
Drivers on major highways in parts of Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens dealt with standing water that closed down at least one lane of traffic on some roads, according to the NYPD.
Flood conditions could be seen in Bayside, Queens, on the Cross Island Parkway near the Throggs Neck Bridge. FreedomNewsTV
The 86th Street Transverse in Central Park was impassable due to floodwaters under the bridge, according to the NYPD.
Video shared on X showed rainwater flowing into tony Chelsea Market as shoppers hopped over a quickly growing river inside its concourse.
Parts of the Garden State Parkway were underwater, according to traffic cameras, while other social media images showed cars attempting to navigate the rapidly rising waters on the highway earlier Sunday.
A security officer works in the rain at Duffy Plaza in New York’s Times Square. G.N.Miller/NYPost
Cars and trucks could be seen trying to plow through the flooding conditions. FreedomNewsTV
A level 1 severe storm threat was issued for the Atlantic coast from New England to North Carolina. Fox WeatherFast-moving rain also swept away cars in the town of Oxford, Conn., while others appeared to be submerged, according to a WTNH reporter.
In nearby Southbury, a man with a prosthetic leg and his dog were rescued by a good Samaritan after their vehicle was caught in floodwaters, a wild video tweeted by Fox 61 meteorologist Ryan Breton showed.
Travelers stood in long lines at LaGuardia Airport as dozens of flights were called off because of the lousy weather.
Footage shows weary flyers stranded with suitcases and bags as they try to sort out their next move. Some resorted to sitting and even lying on the floor while scrolling through their phones.
Major highways across NYC were flooded by the rain Sunday. FreedomNewsTV
Many flights were canceled at LaGuardia on Sunday night because of the deluge. FreedomNewsTV
New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway was flooded near East Orange on Sunday evening. FreedomNewsTV
Flooding in Southbury, Connecticut, on Aug. 18, 2024. @DFANewHaven/XBoth LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International airports stated that Sunday afternoon into evening weather conditions were disrupting flights. The NYPD also warned there would be flight disruptions at JFK Airport.
Amtrak service was also affected, with rail service between New York and Philadelphia temporarily suspended because of flooding in Newark.
The rain came down so hard at one point Sunday evening that it dumped more than an inch of water in Central Park, according to Scott Homan, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
Other parts of the tri-state area are facing as much as 5 inches of rain, he said.
Long lines developed at LGA because of the travel pains. FreedomNewsTV
People walk through Times Square during the rain on Aug. 19, 2024. William C Lopez/New York PostThe rain should taper off late Sunday into early Monday before more thunderstorms reach the Big Apple in the afternoon, according to Homan.
Swimming at all Brooklyn beaches, Rockaway beaches and Riis Beach were prohibited Monday due to rip currents.
