New Jersey

Drivers Rescued Across Tri-State in 2-Punch Storm

Storms stranded drivers in flash floods and toppled some power lines

What to Know

  • Strong storms walloped much of the tri-state area Friday morning, stranding cars in flash floods and toppling some power lines
  • The torrential downpours were blamed for at least one car accident; a vehicle flew off the road and ended up in a retention pond
  • The showers and storms will push east quickly Friday night, providing the region with a much nicer Saturday

A two-punch storm system swept across much of the tri-state Friday, toppling power lines, flooding streets and creating hazardous conditions that trapped drivers in flooded streets and caused at least one car accident. 

Storms pounded the tri-state Friday morning, sending rainwater cascading onto the platform and tracks of the LIRR station in Great Neck.  Lori Genser Burkhoff, who shot this video, said she decided to return home because she feared trains wouldn’t run because of the flooded tracks. Read more about how Friday’s storms stranded some drivers across the tri-state — and landed...

By Friday night, parts of Long Island, particularly Suffolk, saw nearly 4 inches of rain. Bergenfield, New Jersey, and Stamford, Connecticut, each got about an inch of rain. In New York City, Central Park had almost an inch of rain. 

The storm came in two rounds: one pummeled the area in the morning, and a second line hit parts of the tri-state into the night, prompting severe thunderstorm and flash flooding watches and warning. Anyone traveling into or out of local airports were urged call their carriers. Get the most recent severe weather alerts here and track the storm using our interactive radar here

On Long Island, crews had to use a front-end loader to rescue a couple from a flooded street in Famingdale, and rising waters swamped a half-dozen cars in Huntington. Greg Cergol reports.
A man is being hailed as a ‘hero’ after he jumped into a deep pool of water Friday to rescue a woman who had slid off the road in heavy rains and gone underwater in her car. Brian Thompson reports.

The storms brought down large tree branches and wires in Totowa, New Jersey, and the rapid rainfall rate caused flooding in some communities. Dramatic images showed Hudson Street in Hackensack completely under water in the morning, and the local fire department had to make several high-water rescues. 

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In South Brunswick, New Jersey, a weather-related crash on Route 1 sent a car flying off the highway and into a retention pond, according to police. The car ended up submerged in 8 feet of water. A witness helped the driver, Stephanie Trent, swim out.

Driver Stephanie Trent was saved by a good Samaritan when her car crashed through a fence on rain-soaked Route 1 in South Brunswick and ended up underwater. Brian Thompson reports.

Parts of Suffolk and Nassau counties on Long Island also got walloped by morning storms. Huntington was particularly hard hit; video showed people pushing their cars through high floodwaters on New York Avenue as other vehicles sat abandoned. The Great Neck LIRR station turned into a waterfall Friday morning when floodwaters cascaded down onto the platform and the tracks.  

Dramatic video shows a car completely submerged after flash flooding on Friday, one car on fire and trucks and buses struggling to plow through deep water in New Jersey and on Long Island.

In New York City, water was seen gushing from the ceiling of the 34th Street-Penn Station subway station. Some commuters said they had to buy new socks and sneakers on their way to work because the rain had destroyed them.

The showers and storms will push east quickly Friday night, providing the region with a much nicer Saturday. Some spots may see lingering showers in the morning.

It will be dry and warm the rest of the weekend. The work week looks to start out well, with mostly sunny skies and temps in the 80s forecast for Monday.

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