- Rescue officials were forced to pull drivers from their cars in New York City after a highway filled with water during a flash flood
- The New York City Fire Department said that they were called to a Queens highway on July 31 to help “occupants trapped in vehicles” as flood waters reached several feet high
- All of the drivers were rescued safely and no injuries were reported
Rescue officials were forced to pull drivers from their cars in New York City after a Queens highway filled with water during a flash flood.
The New York City Fire Department told PEOPLE in a statement that amid the heavy rains on Thursday, July 31, the Clearview Expressway flooded near Queens’ Northern Boulevard, and firefighters were called to the scene at around 2:45 p.m. local time after receiving reports of “occupants trapped in vehicles.”
FDNY said three vehicles were submerged underwater, and video footage obtained by ABC7 New York showed drivers sitting on top of their cars as they waited for first responders to arrive.
One witness described the flood waters as “10 feet deep,” as six or seven people sat on their vehicles and waited for help to arrive.
“[We had] massive rainfall,” the witness told ABC7. “I mean. I would guess in an hour we got 3 inches.”
Although two people were pulled from “waist-deep water,” all of the vehicle occupants were rescued safely, and no injuries were reported, the fire department said. Units from FDNY are still at the scene as of 6:30 p.m. local time, but ABC7 reported that the roadway has reopened.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has issued a localized state of emergency for New York City for the drenching downpours, and Gov. Kathy Hochul has also declared a state of emergency, according to ABC7 and CBS News New York.
“I am urging all New Yorkers to stay vigilant, stay informed, and use caution as we expect excessive rainfall with the potential for flash flooding,” Hochul said, per CBS. “State agencies are on standby for heavy downpours and localized flooding and will be monitoring the situation in real-time to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers in the path of the storm.”
A flood watch warning inside 28 Street Subway station on July 31, 2025 in New York City. Adam Gray/Getty
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The National Weather Service reported that it expects N.Y.C. to receive 1.5 to 3 inches of rain, and some areas will see as much as 5 inches. The city is also under a Flood Watch until Friday, Aug. 1 at 2 p.m.
The state of emergency includes the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island in New York City, Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, and Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Delaware counties, per CBS.
Gov. Hochul also warned commuters about possible travel difficulties amid the state of emergency.
“That means be alert,” she said in a video on X. “Watch the conditions around you. And we’re making sure the subways are safe as best as we can. It’s going to be a very difficult and challenging commute going home. So, everybody be safe, be smart and we’ll get through this.”
