Cleanup efforts continued Tuesday after heavy rain and strong winds toppled trees, damaged vehicles and prompted beach closures across the five boroughs.
On the Upper West Side, a tree crashed down on West 90th Street near Riverside Drive during Monday’s storms.
(Courtesy Citizen App)
In the Bellerose neighborhood of Queens, a large oak tree fell onto two parked cars near 86th Avenue and the Cross Island Parkway.
The tree was uprooted by the storm, but no injuries were reported. The Fire Department said it was not called to the scene.
(Spectrum News NY1)
Neighbors said they were relieved the tree narrowly missed nearby homes.
“It did just miss our house,” one resident said. “You kind of just think of all the what-ifs. My grandmother’s room is right there, so if it was a couple of feet in, it could have done a different level of damage.”
The owner of the car told NY1 he was grateful that damage was isolated to the street.
“We’re happy that nothing happened to us and the tree didn’t land in the house’s way,” the resident said. “We’re all safe. A car is only a car — it can always be replaced.”
In Richmond Hill, another tree fell into the bed of a parked pickup truck.
(Spectrum News NY1)
The storms also forced the closure of most New York City beaches Monday because of a high risk of dangerous rip currents. It was not immediately clear whether beaches would reopen for swimming Tuesday.
Rainfall totals varied across the city from Sunday night through Monday afternoon, with some locations receiving more than 2.5 inches of rain. Brooklyn College recorded 2.63 inches, John F. Kennedy International Airport received 2.77 inches and Central Park measured 2 inches.
Some areas outside the city saw more than 3 inches of rainfall.
The National Weather Service said conditions were expected to improve Tuesday, with partly sunny skies, lower chances for rain and seasonable humidity.
However, a high risk of rip currents was expected to continue as lingering ocean swells could keep wave heights around 4 to 5 feet.