Heavy rains overnight in the northeastern United States left parts of New York under water on Friday, partially paralysing subways and airports in America’s financial capital.
LaGuardia airport closed down one of its terminals, with social media images showing passengers walking through water well above the tops of their shoes. Mayor Eric Adams urged people not to venture out because the streets were blocked and subway stations flooded.
“If you are at home, stay home. If you are at work or school, shelter in place for now, some of our subways are flooded and it’s extremely difficult to move around the city,” he said.
Images from around New York showed cars half-submerged and traffic snarled, with some major roads completely blocked. Shopkeepers in flooded stores were trying to protect merchandise and push the water back into the streets.
The sprawling New York subway system was also hit, with several lines closed in Brooklyn. Cab driver Ahmed Abdou, 50, originally from Egypt, blasted officials for struggling to cope with what he said was a regular phenomenon.
“The subway in the city is terrible,” he said. “All the storms, they come every year at the same time. We should anticipate it better.” But Rohit Aggarwala Overall, the city’s Environmental Protection Commissioner, said global warming had advanced faster than the city could act.—AFP
