Flash floods in New York and NJ halt highways and transit

Severe thunderstorms unleashed torrential rain over New York City and parts of northern New Jersey on Saturday, July 18, 2026, triggering widespread flash flooding that swamped streets, closed highways, and disrupted major transit networks just hours ahead of the FIFA World Cup final. The intense downpours, which began in the morning and continued through the afternoon, inundated low-lying areas with water, forcing emergency rescues and prompting officials to urge residents to avoid all nonessential travel.

The National Weather Service issued a series of flash flood warnings for central Queens and northern Brooklyn, in effect until 3:30 p.m., along with a separate warning for parts of Brooklyn until 2 p.m. A flood advisory was also in effect for the Bronx. Rainfall totals reached between one to three inches in some areas, with rates peaking at one to two inches per hour, overwhelming drainage systems. Additional bands of heavy rain moving in from the southwest threatened to exacerbate conditions into the evening.

Transportation was severely impacted across the region. Flooding forced the closure of the Clearview Expressway in Queens at Northern Boulevard in both directions,...