WATCH — ‘We Are Getting Soaked’: Thunderstorms and Major Flash Flooding Turn NYC Streets into Rivers

Hard-hitting storms and flash flooding turned streets into rivers in New York City Wednesday, forcing people to get to higher ground and wait out the deluge.

Residents endured 60 mile-per-hour winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms as officials issued warnings, the New York Post reported Thursday.

The outlet said Queens was hit with 2.75 inches of rain while “Commuters’ trips home were thrown into chaos, with the I-495 in Fresh Meadows, the Grand Central Parkway eastbound lanes, and the Cross-Island Expressway in Bellerose … all closed.”

Video footage showed cars nearly submerged while buses tried to push through the high floodwaters on their routes. Another clip caught the moment full trash bags were seen floating down a sidewalk.

“I’m going to pick my wife up from the train with an umbrella and I’m thinking what’s the point? We are getting soaked no matter what! Holy crap!” the man behind the camera said:

ABC 7 reported there were also downed trees in areas of the city.

“The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens and Manhattan, urging people not to drive vehicles or walk into areas where water covers the roadway,” the outlet added.

Additional video footage showed the storms hitting New Jersey. Once the worst of the weather passed, New York City residents got to work clearing away the mud and debris from their sidewalks.

“If we would have gotten rain for a few more minutes, we would have been in big trouble,” one neighbor told CBS New York:

In a social media post early Thursday, NYC Environmental Protection said the sewer system was “built to handle 1.75″/hour but yesterday’s storm brought the equivalent of 6″/hour in some areas. Our crews worked overnight to respond and are continuing today.”

However, some social media users criticized officials, claiming that what NYC Environmental Protection said was an excuse for poor management and corruption.

“Don’t give me any of your excuses, this is New York City, the center of the known universe. The corrupt politicians prioritize bike lanes over everything else. They give all the money away to corrupt nonprofits,” one user said:

Another X account shared a clip of the flash flooding and said, “It’s 2026 and NYC is the richest city on Earth. Still can’t handle the rain. Taxes up. City down the drain.”

The severe weather also disrupted several subway lines, causing headaches for commuters, Fox 5 reported.