Chaos in NYC as flash flooding sends city underwater
The Big Apple was overcome by 2.07 inches (52mm) between 6.51pm and 7.51pm in Central Park – bested only by the nearly three inches of rain that fell during the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in 2021.
The heavy downpour wreaked havoc in the city with commuters trapped in flooded subway tunnels, roofs leaking, power outrages and major bridges closures.
Footage from a train on the 1 line shows water rapidly pouring into the station and into the carriages, forcing commuters to stand on top of the seats.
'Attention passengers: I'm going to call this one in, I can't open the doors, it's not safe,' the conductor can be heard saying.
Twenty stations were closed while 16 others had delays and partial closures. Meanwhile, JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports were struck by significant delays, with 2,000 flights cancelled nationwide.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chief executive Janno Lieber told local media the city's sewer system became overwhelmed by rain, which backed up into the subway tunnels and stations.
'What happened last night is something that is, you know, a reality in our system,' Mr Lieber said.
'We've been working with the city of New York to try to get them to increase the capacity of the system at these key locations.'
During a morning press briefing, Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala told media that the city's sewers were designed to deal with a rainstorm of up to 1.75 inches (44.45mm) per hour.
'What happened last night is really quite simple. The pipes were designed for a certain amount of water. A lot more water fell from the sky and was trying to get into them,' he said.
Mayor Eric Adams praised the 'early communication shared with New Yorkers and the quick response of teams'.
'Everyone's morning commute went smoothly earlier today, and we saw no deaths and had no major injuries reported,' Mr Adams said.
In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency after two women were tragically killed when their car was swept into a nearby brook in Plainfield.
Authorities said their vehicle was swept into the small lake during the height of the storm and first responders were unable to save them.
Just 10 minutes away, a home caught fire and exploded, moments after a family evacuated due to flood warnings.
With rain still expected for the majority of the week, New Yorkers are now being told to brace for a heatwave, with temperatures sitting between 30-32 degrees celsius.
The insane weather event comes just over a week after devastating floods tore through Texas, killing at least 134 people.
About 100 people still remain unaccounted for as authorities issue a new flash flood watch.
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