Severe thunderstorms on Thursday swept through the Tri-state area, bringing heavy rain to New York City that quickly led to widespread flooding. At least two tornadoes were also reported as the storms moved through, and streets across the city were submerged within a short period.
The flooding was so severe that parts of the city's subway system were inundated, forcing several lines to close temporarily while emergency teams worked to pump water off the tracks.
Mobile phone footage shared by eyewitnesses captured dramatic scenes inside the subway: water could be seen pouring from the ceiling into one station, rapidly pooling across the platform. In another video, rainwater was shown streaming dangerously close to a waiting train, nearly dripping inside.
In some areas, around 7cm of rain fell in a short span, overwhelming the city's drainage systems and causing disruptions across the transport network.
