Severe thunderstorms caused flooding, damage and travel disruptions across the five boroughs Thursday night.
LaGuardia Airport temporarily shut down for several hours during the day before reopening at 6 a.m. Friday. The airport recorded more than 210 cancellations, with some delays expected to continue.
John F. Kennedy International Airport remained open but also recorded 167 cancellations on Thursday.
In total, the storms brough more than 2 inches of rain to several parts of the city, according to reports from the National Weather Service.
Central Park recorded 2.31 inches, LaGuardia saw 2.25 inches, parts of the Bronx reported up to 2.03 inches, and parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn received nearly 2 inches.
Amid the storm, a tornado warning was issued for southeast Queens. Video from Jamacia Bay showed what appeared to be a waterspout reaching into the air. The National Weather Service will survey the area Friday to determine if a tornado did occur.
(Courtesy Rockaway Times via Instagram)
The heavy rainfall also led to flash flooding in Hollis, Queens, specifically around 183rd Street, where roads were inundated with water.
Some residents spoke to NY1, saying they want the city to consider buying out homes in the area as a long-term solution to repeated flooding.
(Courtesy New York State Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman)
“We definitely want a buyout, we definitely have to look at long-term solutions, as well as short-term solutions,” said Amit Shivprasad, a member of Community Board 12. “[New York City Emergency Management Department] has been a great partner with us here in Hollis, everything we need. Every phone call I make, we get the help we need. But, we need to find alternate ways, and ways we can stop this.”
Amrita Bhagwandin, a Hollis resident, said she supports the proposal.
“I’ve been advocating for a buyout of the neighborhood, which I think will save a lot of money coming to the streets for one, and just going down, literally, the drain,” she said.
In Manhattan, water was seen rushing down the stairs at the 137th Street 1 train station. City Council Member Shaun Abreu posted video of the flooding and called for further investment in climate-resilient mass transit.
(Courtesy City Council Member Shaun Abreu)
A fallen tree was also reported on Jefferson Avenue in Bushwick. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
(Courtesy Citizen App)
Following Thursday’s destructive storms, Friday will start mostly cloudy before becoming partly cloudy later in the day. Temperatures will reach the mid-70s to around 80 degrees, with dry weather expected throughout the evening.