NEW YORK (PIX11) – A powerful coastal storm swept through New York City and the tri-state region Friday, causing widespread flooding.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy each declared a State of Emergency.
Residents watch as workers in Brooklyn attempt to clear a drain in flood waters on Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Jake Offenhartz) 
A person carries sandbags through water as heavy rain causes streets to flood in Hoboken, New Jersey on Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) 
A pedestrian walks across the street in the rain on Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
People talk to the train engineer as trains from Manhattan to Brooklyn get cancelled due to heavy rain on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) 
Traffic makes its way through flood waters along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted) 
A man works to clear a drain in flood waters in Brooklyn on Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Jake Offenhartz) 
A car in floodwaters in Long Branch, New Jersey on Sept. 29, 2023. (Credit: PIX11) 
Cars sit parked in deep water as heavy rain causes streets to flood in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) 
In this photo taken from video, traffic makes its way through flood waters along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway , Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted) 
A flooded street due to heavy rain in Hoboken, New Jersey on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) 
A truck drives through deep water as heavy rain causes streets to flood in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
“This is not an ordinary rainfall. This is historic. We’re on track to possibly create a new record of 10 inches of rain falling in literally 10 hours,” Hochul said. “We are trying to make sure all New Yorkers know … it is not finished yet. There’s more rain on the way.”
Flights into LaGuardia Airport were briefly halted Friday morning and then delayed because of water in the airport’s refueling area. Flooding also forced the closure of one of the airport’s three terminals and caused flight disruptions at JFK Airport.
More than a dozen subway lines were partially or fully suspended due to flooding conditions, according to the MTA.
The National Weather Service issued flood watches throughout the tri-state area, Emergency Management Department Commissioner Zachary Iscol said.
Throughout the morning and afternoon, rain continued to batter Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs.
“Parts of Queens and Nassau County have been hit with more than 7 inches of rain,” PIX11 News meteorologist Chris Cimino said. “That’s what some places get in an average of two months.”
Rain is expected to continue across the tri-state area until Saturday afternoon.
On a street in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, workers were up to their knees in water as they tried to unclog a storm drain while cardboard and other debris floated by. The city said that it checked and cleared key drains, especially near subway stations, ahead of the storm.
New York City officials said they received reports that at least six basement apartments had flooded Friday morning, but all the occupants got out safely. Hochul pleaded with residents to evacuate their homes if the water started to rise.
On Sunday, the weather is expected to clear up and warm up but until then the rain continues to leave parts of the city in a state of emergency and underwater as photos show.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press as well as PIX11’s Charline Charles and Chris Cimino.
