Drivers Rescued From Flooded Cars as Henri Gives NYC Rainiest Hour in History –
Henri had already delivered record-breaking rain totals and widespread flooding hours before making landfall Sunday afternoon. Heavy rain overwhelmed storm drains and drivers plowed through foot-deep water in a few spots Saturday night in New York City and New Jersey.
Tropical Storm Henri was still projected to bring another three to six inches of rainfall Sunday after passing Long Island and making landfall near Westerly, Rhode Island.
Flash flood warnings were issued beginning Saturday night and into Sunday morning throughout the five boroughs and northern New Jersey. Check the latest severe weather alerts for your neighborhood here.
Brooklyn had seen more than 6 inches of rain by 9:30 a.m., while parts of New Jersey also saw intense rainfall with more torrential downpours still ahead. Middlesex County had more than 8 inches recorded by 8:30 a.m.
Drivers in Newark tried moving through flooded roadways, too. One driver recorded a number of cars on Route 21 in flood waters several inches high. Several water rescues were reported Sunday morning in Middlesex County.
The National Weather Service said drivers had to be rescued after they got stuck in a flash flood on 3rd Avenue beneath the Gowanus Expressway and between 4th Avenue and Carroll Street late Saturday.
According to the NWS, nearly 4 inches of rain fell Saturday night in Central Park. With 1.94 inches between 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., it was the rainiest hour in 150+ years of recorded history. There have been several reports of multiple vehicles stranded in floods in parts of the city, northern New Jersey and on Long Island.
No stranger to flooding, the subway system had to suspend several lines for a brief period overnight in Manhattan. Interim NYC Transit President Craig Cipriano pleaded with New Yorkers to “stay home if you can” as Henri’s wrath descended, flooding train tracks, streets and subways overnight.
Henri is expected to cause devastating power outages across the region. Click here for the latest updates on outages.
Flooding socked countless New Yorkers late Saturday, more than 12 hours before Henri’s projected landfall.
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