Strong Rains Drench Morning Commuters in Manhattan, NY

Full service on the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 subway lines in Manhattan, which had been suspended from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. because of flooding, was restored by 7:20 a.m., according to a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The spokesman, Kevin Ortiz, said that crews were able to pump water that had flooded the street and onto the tracks on Broadway between 72nd and 79th Streets. “Everything is back with residual delays,” he said.


As the storm moved through the New York metropolitan region, the modest delays at the three main airports could get worse throughout the morning, said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported ground stops at Kennedy and La Guardia Airports, which were affecting arrivals.

“The reality is, there is only about a half-hour to an hour delay,” Mr. Coleman said. “But if there is a ground stop, the delays could snowball.”

At 7:55 a.m., Amtrak trains along the Northeast Corridor were running with scattered delays but no service interruptions due to the weather, said Cliff Cole, an Amtrak spokesman.

The southbound Cross Island Parkway ramp at the Throgs Neck Bridge was still closed due to flooding at the bottom of the ramp, as of 9:45 a.m., but drivers could take the Clearview Expressway.

The heaviest downpours and winds soaked the city before dawn on Friday. By 6 a.m., the fast-falling rain had already overwhelmed at least one section of the subway system. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended service along the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 lines between 42nd and 96th Streets because of flooding at 79th Street.

Other lines that had experienced delays due to signal problems: the N, R and Q; the B, D, F and M; and the A, C and E.

Traffic on the inbound George Washington Bridge was at an early standstill because of flooding, NY1 News reported. The exit ramp to the Harlem River Drive was closed.

There was also flooding in the northbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and one off-property approach to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was briefly closed. It reopened by 7:30 a.m. There was also flooding at the New Jersey entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel.

Amtrak said downed trees and wires along the tracks were causing delays between New York and Boston, and delays were reported at Kennedy and La Guardia Airports.

A flood watch issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect through the afternoon for the metropolitan region, including all of Long Island, Westchester County and northeastern New Jersey throughout the day.

Check back on City Room for updates.