Deadly storms swamp NYC, leave two dead in New Jersey

NEW YORK: Severe storms lashed the New York City area from Monday night into Tuesday, flooding subway stations, submerging cars, and leaving at least two people dead in neighbouring New Jersey.

Cars were washed away, underground stations flooded, and emergency crews rushed to help as the heavy rain caused chaos overnight.

The heavy rain brought major travel disruption across airports, motorways, and rail services in 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 down 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.