US Rains: States of Emergency Declared For New York City & New Jersey; Streets Flooded, Subways Submerged (VISUALS)

New York City: Heavy rains lashed the East Coast of the United States on Thursday, triggering floods in New York City. Amid heavy showers, states of emergency have been declared in New York City and New Jersey.

Normal life in major cities from New York to Washington D C has been thrown out of gear as strong rainstorms lashed the region. Flights were delayed throughout the region. Emergency services were also pressed into action as motorists got trapped in deep water on highways from the Philadelphia area to New York City.

Warning Issues By New York City Government:

ATTENTION NYC: Flash flood warnings are in effect for several boroughs through the early part of the evening. The Flood Watch AND Travel Advisory will be in effect until 8 am Friday.

Dangerous weather can develop fast. Don’t wait for an alert to move to safety. pic.twitter.com/svfTS1XMsn

— City of New York (@nycgov) July 31, 2025

Subways and streets were transformed into rivers in New York City. Several visuals of submerged in the city surfaced online. A similar situation has also been reported in Manhattan, where commuters captured video of water pouring over a train on a platform in Grand Central Terminal.

🌊 Massive flooding caused by heavy rainfall in Queens, NYC, USA 🇺🇸 (31.07.2025)#Flood #deprem #USA #Tsunami #storm pic.twitter.com/ClEZK2tTHo

— Sana Fatima (@SanaFat13648697) August 1, 2025

Meanwhile, commuter rail lines into suburban Long Island and New Jersey were suspended in places as tracks were inundated, reported The Associated Press.

🚨 New York Governor Issues State of Emergency for NYC as Floodwaters Overwhelm City.

Subways inundated. Streets transformed into rivers. pic.twitter.com/vNuoOpl4o3

— Digital Gal (@DigitalGal_X) July 31, 2025

Amtrak officials announced Thursday evening that trains between Philadelphia and Wilmington were stopped because of severe storms, causing high water over the tracks. "Once a route is available, anticipate residual delays," company officials posted on X.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other local officials urged people to stay off the roads. They also requested residents in basement apartments to move to higher locations as heavy rainfall was expected to lash the city on Friday afternoon (local time).

In Pennsylvania, National Weather Service warnings of up to three inches of rain in an hour produced flooding in Reading, a city about 96 kilometres northwest of Philadelphia. Due to heavy downpour, schools and libraries were closed early on Thursday.

🚨🇺🇸 NYC Grand Central Floods!
A State of Emergency grips New York as Grand Central Station fills with water and more heavy rains are on the way.#NewYork #Flooding #USA pic.twitter.com/xFfYQ9tWrB

— Rizwan Shah (@rizwan_media) July 31, 2025

Flight delays and cancellations were reported at airports in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia on Thursday evening. Tornado warnings were also issued in New Jersey.

More than 20,000 electricity customers were without power as of Thursday evening, reported AP. Heavy rainfall is expected in the region on Thursday night (local time).