Tropical Storm Elsa is currently moving down the east coast towards New York City and today, even before it arrived, there was a downpour causing some flash flooding in parts of the city:
Flash flooding unleashed by a series of powerful thunderstorms paralyzed highways, streets and subways in New York City and beyond, completely shutting down the vital Major Deegan Expressway for hours and stranding motorists who had to be rescued.
Several highways were reported to have closed in places like Yonkers in Westchester County and Hackensack in New Jersey due to the storm hitting during rush hour, turning highways into rivers and subway stations into swimming pools.
This is how things looked on the subway:
You came to some subway system. This is the 157th St. 1 line right now. @NYCMayor @BilldeBlasio pic.twitter.com/xyfTAUPPNu
– Paullee 🤠 (@PaulleeWR) July 8, 2021
People tried using garbage bags to stay dry, but most of the time it didn’t work:
And … a try. pic.twitter.com/VHk3Rnv6zd
– Paullee 🤠 (@PaulleeWR) July 8, 2021
This is how it looked about the same station:
Yooo 157th St station is under water pic.twitter.com/TfdEF8yH2l
– Stephen Smith (@Noxluc) July 8, 2021
Meanwhile at Penn Station:
How is your summer going? ⛈ pic.twitter.com/HJENycDyqb
– Douglas Stuart (@Doug_D_Stuart) July 8, 2021
I can’t make out the sign on this one:
New York subway flood pic.twitter.com/yvGyX9Ennv
– Linh (@ Linh_ho87) July 8, 2021
But New Yorkers don’t stop:
Flooding in #NEW YORK pic.twitter.com/ajfwdARitd
– Lars❄️🇳🇴 (New account) (@ aflyguynew1) July 8, 2021
The Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx was flooded to the point where people had to be rescued:
ONLY IN 🚨 Multiple people stuck as rains from Tropical Storm Elsa shut down the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx, New York pic.twitter.com/o8lqRJ90yt
– Insider Document (@TheInsiderPaper) July 8, 2021
Video of stranded people being pulled from their cars into the back of a truck:
❗️ FLASH FLOOD hits New York City, overwhelming the subway and freeways: several people need to be rescued (VIDEO)
(Via RT) pic.twitter.com/ct3xB9q8gk
– Randi M 🐴 (@ RandiM20) July 8, 2021
It seems that some drivers are getting over it:
I would avoid North FDR unless you are wearing a life jacket. pic.twitter.com/RRHRrVUsdN
– David Lennon (@DPLennon) July 8, 2021
🌊 Flooded storms in New York! 🗽 || Look deep #flood waters on this highway in New York City on Thursday! #NYwx #Flood #Severe weather
Video Credit: @ danooch23 pic.twitter.com/F9NS5fbiYk– WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) July 8, 2021
This is from Yonkers:
Major flooding on Central Ave in Yonkers, NY by Kohls. Water on some cars. Video taken by us.@NWSNewYorkNY @ LeeGoldbergABC7 @SamanthaAugeri @ NickGregoryFox5 @ Raphael4NY pic.twitter.com/3V81Ii0BBN
– Weather of the three states (@tristateweather) July 8, 2021
That’s all I see at the moment, but again the bad news is that Elsa is still on her way bringing a lot more rain tonight and early tomorrow. New Yorkers have a lot of experience working from home. Maybe tomorrow is a good day to stay home instead of trying to go through what is likely to be a disaster. Here’s a local news report on the disaster.