Flash floods kill two in New Jersey; NYC subways, streets submerged

NEW YORK: Two people died in neighbouring New Jersey after flash floods swept the region during powerful storms that pounded the New York City area from Monday night into Tuesday, submerging cars and flooding subway stations.

The heavy rain came fast and hard, flooding roads and underground train stations, causing major travel disruption across airports, motorways, and rail services. Emergency crews worked through the night as rising waters trapped cars and brought life to a halt across the region.

More than 2 inches (5 cm) of rain fell within a single hour in Manhattan’s Central Park — the second highest amount ever recorded in 60 minutes — according to Mayor Eric Adams.

Footage showed floodwaters pouring into several underground stations on Monday evening, including a powerful geyser of water gushing into one on Manhattan’s West Side.

Officials said the city’s transport system could not cope with the sheer volume of rainfall in such a short time. The ageing sewer system is built to manage around 1.75 inches (4.44 cm) per hour, said Rohit Aggarwala, the city’s environmental protection commissioner, while rainfall exceeded 4 inches an hour at the storm’s height.

“I probably don’t recall seeing that level of rain before,” Adams remarked.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and said two people had died in Plainfield after their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.

The victims were found inside a submerged car, Murphy told reporters.

He noted that some areas received 6 inches (15.25 cm) of rainfall in less than two and a half hours, with reports of flooding in places where it had never occurred before. The governor blamed climate change for the rising frequency and intensity of such extreme weather.

“That’s the new reality,” he said.

In Westchester County, just north of New York City, emergency crews carried out several water rescues as cars were trapped and roads shut due to flooding. Nearby in Rockland County, the suburb of Nanuet saw more than 5 inches (12.7 cm) of rain, according to the National Weather Service.