Flash flooding and storms slam New York City, air quality improves

Storms dumped five inches of rain in Queens and stranded rush-hour train passengers in floodwaters as flash-flood warnings spread across the New York City metro area. After days of heavy smoke and torrid temperatures, the air started to improve even as downpour risks kept streets, tracks and commutes under threat.

Flash-flooding alerts covered portions of the NYC metro area, and the National Weather Service forecast page listed an air-quality alert for nearby areas during the same stretch. Governor Kathy Hochul’s office tied the latest air-quality updates to Canadian wildfire smoke and high temperatures, while New York City emergency officials kept their severe-weather and public health guidance in place when unhealthy air was forecast.

The broader storm system hit the Northeast with thunderstorms, flooding and strong winds, and some cities saw winds above 70 miles per hour. In New York City, flooding closed roads including the Clearview Expressway in Queens, where water pooled fast enough to disrupt traffic and emergency response. Central Park set a daily rainfall record that had stood for more than a century, and the city area took in more rain in a few hours than typically falls in all of July.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties after the flooding spread across the state. Flash flooding remained a threat in pockets of both states as storms moved out.