New York City, Staten Island, Queens, and Brooklyn were battered yesterday afternoon with quick flash floods and heavy winds. The National Weather service sent out a warning around noon, Friday, telling people to turn around when encountering flooded roads, stressing that most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
By 3:00 PM, some building lobbies in NYC, were flooded trapping workers in their offices. Hardest hit was the West Side Highway from West 24th to West 34th streets with massive flooding. NYC's Mayor, Bill de Blasio, put out an announcement telling New Yorkers to stay inside if you can and to expect extensive traffic delays across the city.1-2 inches of rain fell every hour.
Three inches of rainfall fell Friday
Flooding affected thoroughfares in and around the city causing damage on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn, and near Hamilton Avenue and 17th Street, and 86Th Street was closed in Central Park.
The main entrance to Penn Station at Seventh Avenue and 32nd Street along with a subway stairwell were both closed. Six vehicles were stuck in water, in Kearny, New Jersey, near a bridge. Tow trucks had to be called to remove them.
At the World Trade Center, due to the heavy rains, the roof of a $4 billion transit hub started leaking. A spokesman for the Port Authority said the areas where the leaks occurred was a transit hub, which doubles as a high-end shopping mall.
It was opened, last year, after many years of delays due to budget restrictions.
Flight delays up to 6 hours
FlightAware, a flight tracking website, said Newark Liberty International had flight delays of up to three hours. The intense weather system crippled local airports. Delays at John F. Kennedy Airport were reported to be as long as six hours by early evening.
Newark International and LaGuardia airports were said to have delays as long as three hours.
Waterfalls cascading around columns beneath Brooklyn's Gowanus Expressway were caught on video by online cameras. Six cars were said to be trapped for hours and had to be rescued by tow trucks on Center Street south of Montgomery Street, right under the New Jersey Turnpike.
There were at least three vehicles affected. There were no reports of injuries.
Highways and roads across other parts of northeastern New Jersey flooded quickly, and water rose suddenly on Route 440 and West Side Avenue, and cars were completely submerged in some regions.
