Flash floods batter NYC hours before World Cup final as Joe Hart hit by downpour | World | News
Footage widely shared on social media shows a car being swept through the street by high water as well as bins and restaurant umbrellas floating down streets, while pedestrians wade through flooded areas. The intricate subway system was also affected, with clips online showing water pouring down the trains and platforms, with travellers trying to shield themselves from the rain.
The heavy rain prompted major travel disruption, including lane closures on the Long Island Expressway at 188th Street and Clearview Expressway at Northern Boulevard.
LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports also reported delays and flight cancellations due to the inclement weather.
Moreover, Saturday’s New York Yankees-Dodgers game at Yankee Stadium was cancelled due to the weather.
The National Weather Service reported that two and four inches of rain had fallen within just a few hours, overwhelming the drainage system.
Downpours reached rates of up to an inch per hour, the forecaster also said, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated over lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn and parts of Queens.
Amid the flooding, emergency officials urged residents in basement apartments to leave their homes and seek higher ground.
As rain kept falling, many took to social media to report on the floods.
In a video shared on Instagram by @subwaycreatures, one woman can be heard saying: “People are literally swimming”.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart shared a video of himself walking barefoot through a flooded streets.
He told the camera in a clip shared on Instagram: “Shoes are off, trainers are ruined.”
Argentina and Spain are to face each other tonight at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Heavy rain may affect the match, as the stadium doesn’t have a roof.
