Thursday evening’s storm dumped more than 2 inches of rain on some sections of Queens and brought a pair of rare tornadoes that touched down in the Rockaways and western Nassau County.
The storm flooded major highways and led to massive and lengthy delays at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports.
Figures obtained from the National Weather Service reported 2.25 inches of rain at LaGuardia and in Kew Gardens Hills, with 2.2 inches in Bellerose and 2.1 in Ozone Park.
Other readings in Queens included Long Island City (1.63), Middle Village (1.51) Beechhurst (1.49), and JFK (1.12).
Social media post from throughout Queens showed highways and major streets flooded.
Both tornadoes started as water spouts and came ashore at about 6:30 and 7 p.m.. respectively.
Published reports say the Nassau County tornado caused extensive structural damage in the Atlantic Beach area, though there were no reports of injuries.
No injuries in the Rockaways were reported by Emergency Management personnel in a Friday afternoon email.
“We are assessing damage and asking New Yorkers to visit reportdamage.nyc.gov if your home, business, or property was damaged during yesterday’s storm,” an agency spokesperson said. “Damage reports help assess storm impacts and will determine whether the City is eligible to apply for federal assistance.”
She said New Yorkers can also request city services by visiting nyc.gov/311 or by calling 311.
For Maryann Maragioglio of Woodhaven, the storm and the flooding of her 48th Street home was not a surprise.
The last time it happened in July.
The first time?
“Mayor [Ed] Koch came and spoke with my father,” she said.
She said it doesn’t have to be Hurricane Sandy from 2012 or the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021 to be a problem.
“Any time there is a heavy rain, the manhole covers blow up,” Maragioglio said. “In July I had 15 feet of water in my house. I lost everything. You have open electric outlets and the water covers the outlets.’
She was just able to grab her dog and a few belongings and rush up to the second floor.
“[Thursday] wasn’t as bad, But I got my whole basement, yard and garage flooded. I’m still pumping out.
“This has to stop.”
Maragioglio blames the diversion of water from the nearby Long Island Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Laurel Hill Road.
“We’re downhill,” she said. “They divert the water and it comes down here.”
She also blames residential construction nearby in recent years for exacerbating the problem, and fears it will get worse with any new housing.
“You’re going to build 60 apartments and connect them to these sewer lines?” she asked. “It’s ridiculous.”