As storms pounded the Northeast on Monday night, New York City experienced flash flooding and New Jersey declared an emergency.
A flood warning was issued for all five boroughs of New York City, as residents filmed subway stations filling up with water.
Local news footage and video clips shared online by New Yorkers showed cars stranded in deep water in Westchester County, torrents of water flowing down New York City subway station stairs, and water pouring onto subway platforms.
Residents in New York City were urged to take precautions as thunderstorms rolled through the afternoon, bringing heavy rain.
“If you live in a basement apartment or a low-lying area, prepare to move to higher ground,” New York City 311 wrote in an X post Monday night.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency due to flash flooding and “high levels of rainfall” in certain areas of the state.
“Please remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.” “Be safe, New Jersey,” Murphy wrote on X Monday night.
At least six East Coast airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, were forced to ground flights Monday due to storms, causing significant delays and disrupting travel plans.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, ground stop orders were issued for New York City’s JFK and LaGuardia airports, as well as New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, at one point on Monday evening.
Flights were also grounded at Philadelphia International, Baltimore/Washington International, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, all located outside of Washington, D.C.
By 8.30 p.m. local time, some of the ground stops had ended, but the FAA still reported delays ranging from 45 minutes to three hours.
At around 4 p.m. Eastern Time, the National Weather Service predicted one to two inches of widespread rainfall in parts of New York, including Queens, home to JFK and LaGuardia airports.
Its New York City office wrote on X shortly after 10 p.m. ET, “The heaviest rainfall has moved east and weakened. This rain is expected to move eastward and decrease in intensity throughout the night.”
According to a service update issued shortly before 10 p.m. ET, some New Jersey locations, including Newark, will experience flooding.
One passenger on a plane bound for JFK airport wrote on X shortly before 9 p.m. ET: “We have been circling just outside New York for the last 90 minutes.”
“We can’t land due to weather-related airport congestion. “The pilot just told us that we have one hour of fuel left for circling before landing at another nearby airport,” the passenger said.
Another irate traveler posted on X around 8.20 p.m. ET: “I’ve been sitting at Newark airport for over 4 hours now.”
New York City officials urged residents to take precautions against heat and further flooding on Tuesday, citing “hot and humid conditions” that are expected to “approach or exceed” 100°F.
