On the night of the 14th (local time), a sudden heavy rain hit New York City, resulting in the flooding of several subway stations and the cancellation of thousands of flights, Bloomberg reported.
Bloomberg, citing the National Weather Service (NWS), stated that heavy rain concentrated in New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut caused water to flood subway stations, and in some areas, roads were closed or vehicles were submerged, leaving drivers isolated.
Metro-North, the operator of commuter trains connecting New York City and nearby areas, reported a suspension of service on parts of the Harlem line, and delays on certain sections of the New Haven line. Several routes of the New York City subway and rail system also experienced suspensions and delays.
Air travel was severely disrupted. According to flight-tracking site FlightAware, a total of 1,200 flights were canceled at New York area airports, including LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The heavy rain also affected Central Park in the heart of Manhattan, New York. More than 50 mm of rain fell per hour at night, turning the park into a sea of water. The New Jersey area also recorded several dozen millimeters of rain by late afternoon, according to the NWS.
The NWS explained, “Enormous amounts of water vapor flowed along the eastern coast of the United States from Florida to Maine, leading to widespread thunderstorms, and the stagnant atmospheric flow increased the risk of flooding.”
Flood-related alerts were expanded. Flood advisories were issued in some eastern states, including Maryland and Virginia, until the morning of the 15th, and flash flood warnings in parts of New Jersey were in effect until dawn on the 15th.
Meanwhile, on the 4th of the month, a heavy rain disaster in the Guadalupe River basin in central inland Texas led to the death of 129 people.