New York City continued to see heavy rain and winds into Friday morning, as Tropical Storm Elsa moved through America’s largest city. The video above shows some of the rainfall and flash flooding that hit the city and surrounding areas.
Heavy rain had ended in New York City by mid-morning.
A tropical storm warning Friday morning stretched along the East Coast from New Jersey to Massachusetts. Elsa is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night.
Up to 6 inches of rain was possible in some areas Friday. The hurricane center said a tornado or two was possible through early Friday afternoon over parts of Long Island and southeastern New England.
There were some snags on commuter rail lines Friday morning, with slight delays on the Harlem Line north of the city. Service was suspended on the Long Island Rail Road’s Oyster Bay Branch because of fallen trees.
Overnight wind speed readings peaked at 78 miles per hour in coastal New Jersey. The National Hurricane Center said those winds appeared to be “associated with nearby tornadoes”.
Some New York City roadways and at least one subway station became bodies of water on Thursday, after rainfall flooded traffic lanes and station platforms.
Video posted to social media showed water levels reaching waist height at the subway station at West 157th Street in upper Manhattan.
The water issues weren’t just below ground. Some drivers on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx needed emergency assistance after becoming stuck when the water got too deep on one side of the roadway. On the other side, drivers had to pass the area only using one lane, with the others covered by brownish water.
The FDR Drive in Manhattan and the Henry Hudson Parkway also had severe flooding issues in some sections.
Elsa has been wreaking havoc on the East Coast for most of this week. On Wednesday, nine people were injured in coastal Camden County, Georgia, when a tornado struck a campground for active-duty service members and military retirees.
Authorities in Jacksonville, Florida, said one person was killed Wednesday when a tree fell and landed on two cars.
