Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Wild storms in NYC: 'Life-threatening' floods, intense winds, a tornado possible Saturday
By
Ryan Kost
and
Louis C. Hochman
Published Jul 18, 2026
Modified Jul 18, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Courtesy of Mike Delfin
By
Ryan Kost
and
Louis C. Hochman
Published Jul 18, 2026
Modified Jul 18, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York-area residents were getting pummeled with rain mid-day Saturday, as a line of severe thunderstorms brought flash flooding, potentially damaging winds and the possibility of isolated tornadoes to the region.
A flash flood warning — meaning flooding is happening or imminent — was in effect until 3 p.m. for much of North Jersey, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Videos on social media showed streets throughout the boroughs flooded, some with cars trapped or moving cautiously through the water. The FDNY said it was receiving reports of people trapped in cars, but didn't have any information about rescues available as of 2 p.m.
NYPD alerts early afternoon said all lanes were blocked on the eastbound Brooklyn Queens Expressway approaching Metropolitan Avenue, on the Long Island Expressway at 188th Street and the Clearview Expressway at Northern Boulevard.
Newark, JFK and LaGuardia airports were all reporting significant delays of about an hour or more mid-day Saturday, a day before travelers from all over the world were excepted to attend the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
NJ Transit suspended service in both directions Saturday afternoon because of the weather conditions.
At least some NYC subway service was affected by the rains. Video shared with Gothamist showed water pouring onto the track as and platform from the ceiling of the Jay Street station in Brooklyn. A Gothamist journalist saw water pouring into the 59th Street station as well.
The National Weather Service said the areas around event venues like New York/New Jersey Stadium, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Sports Illustrated Stadium and Rockefeller Center were all likely to flood. Its advisories reminded residents most flood deaths occur in vehicles. The entire area remained under a high rip current risk as well.
Several venues announced show cancellations or schedule adjustments.
The region also remained under a flood watch into early Sunday, with the strongest storms expected in the late afternoon and early evening. By 1 p.m., nearly 4 inches of rain had fallen, and another 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour were expected, according to the National Weather Service.
Damaging wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph are the main threat with these strong storms, according to the city’s Emergency Management Department. They can topple trees, powerlines and send unsecured objects flying.
Residents Saturday also have to contend with more smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Meteorologist Brian Ciemnecki with the National Weather Service said smoke drifted back into the area overnight and will linger through the first half of Saturday. Saturday mid-day, air quality through most of the city was rated “unhealthy,” but was expected to improve into Sunday
Tornadoes in the five boroughs are rare but not underheard of. “Tornadoes don’t discriminate,” Ciemnecki said. But, he added, “It’s not like you have this classic F4 barreling through Manhattan,” using a term that describes a devastatingly intense tornado on the Fujita Scale.
NYC Emergency Management activated its Flash Flood Emergency Plan Friday, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani said crews were ready.
“City workers are preparing our city for tomorrow’s storms by clearing catch basins, staffing up emergency response teams, and placing our downed-tree task force on standby, and New Yorkers should take time to prepare too,” Mamdani said in a statement.
Govs. Kathy Hochul and Mikie Sherrill also issued their own words of warning leading into the storms.
“I remind everyone to take this weather seriously: Take precautions, know what to do if a storm reaches your areas … and don’t forget to check on friends and family members who might need assistance,” Hochul said.
“Be very careful,” Sherrill said in a video posted on Instagram. “Stay away from trees as the storm comes in. Make sure you're keeping yourself and your family safe. Never drive through floodwaters. They can really rise quickly and unexpectedly.”
Emergency officials offered the usual guidance: Don't drive, walk or swim through floodwaters; secure loose outdoor items; head indoors and away from windows at the first rumble of thunder; and check on neighbors, especially those in basement apartments.
New York City residents can also sign up for alerts by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692.
New Yorkers will see a bit of calm following the storms, Ciemnecki said. Sunday and Monday should be drier and the skies less smoky. But by Tuesday, thunderstorms are expected to return.
— Includes reporting by Jill Webb.
Tagged
new york city
weather
Ryan Kost
Read more
Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Federal judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over New Jersey voter rolls
The ruling rejects the Justice Department’s effort to force New Jersey to provide voter registration records.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jul 29, 2026 at 6:56 p.m. ET
Confusion reigns over eligibility for Mayor Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax
“Why are we being targeted?” one Staten Island resident asked.
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Brigid Bergin
News
Confusion reigns over eligibility for Mayor Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax
“Why are we being targeted?” one Staten Island resident asked.
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Brigid Bergin
MTA settles suit to make subway elevators more reliable
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
What does it take to get NYC buildings to test for disease-causing Legionella?
By
Caroline Lewis
Decade-plus push to put floating pool on East River faces another delay
By
Liam Quigley
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .