New York City has been hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms this week that led to flooding and downed trees in several boroughs of the city and left car drivers stranded atop their cars due to flash flooding, the New York Post reported.
A purported clip, which has since gone viral on social media, showed a woman being carried away by violent currents amid an intense wave of flooding. The 15-second video showed the woman, wearing a pink top, getting swept away by flash floods as she got down from a bus.
Woman got washed away in the NYC flood. 😭💔 pic.twitter.com/KFWwASKwYW
— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) May 21, 2026
Flood advisory issued as storms intensify
As the heavy rain and flooding continued in New York City, the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for areas, including Staten Island, Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, ABC News reported.
Other clips on social media purportedly showed commuters being swept away off their feet and cars being overwhelmed as the rain and thunderstorm pushed wind to 60 miles per hour on Wednesday, the New York Post reported.
Subway disruptions, road closures hit commuters
The heavy rainfall battered the public transport system as several subway services were disrupted.
The I-495 in Fresh Meadows, the Grand Central Parkway eastbound lanes, and the Cross-Island Expressway in Bellerose were all shut, affecting commuters ‘ ability to reach home.
Mamdani says sewer system is overwhelmed, cites long-term plan
New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday’s rainfall and thunderstorms, which flooded parts of Brooklyn and Queens, were so intense that the city’s sewer system has been overwhelmed.
Mamdani visited the NYC neighbourhood of Hollis to check on the damage and said the drainage system is built to handle up to two inches per hour, but the area received way above that.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said, “What needs to happen is you gotta raise these roads, which is complicated because if you raise the roads, you have to raise the homes.”
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Detailing about the city’s investment, Mayor Mamdani said that NYC has invested millions of dollars in a 10-year plan, which is known as Cloudburst projects, which are sites that can hold excess water and hold it for at least 24 to 48 hours.
