By Rachel Russell for BBC
Cars in floodwater on the FDR highway in Manhattan, New York. Photo: AFP / Ed Jones
A state of emergency has been declared in New York City as strong storms bring flash flooding.
Many of the city's subway systems, streets and highways have flooded, while at least one terminal at LaGuardia Airport closed on Friday.
Up to five inches (12.7cm) of rain fell in some areas overnight, and up to seven more inches (17.8cm) are due, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has said.
"This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm," she added.
"I am declaring a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the extreme rainfall we're seeing throughout the region," she said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
She urged people to take steps to stay safe and "never attempt to travel on flooded roads".
People attempt to clear a storm drain on Stratford Avenue amid a coastal storm on September 29, 2023 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn borough New York City. Photo: AFP / Michael M. Santiago
New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned people it was a time for "heightened alertness and extreme caution" as the state of emergency was put in place.
"Some of our subways are flooded and it is extremely difficult to move around the city," he told a press briefing.
Pictures and video footage showed people wading through water reaching up to their knees, as streets and subways were hit by heavy rain.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advised people to stay home if they did not need to travel.
Terminal A at La Guardia Airport is currently closed because of flooding, authorities said.
Passengers were advised to check with their airline before travelling.
The New York Police Department also announced multiple road closures and said the National Guard had been deployed.
Elsewhere, traffic hit a standstill as water rose above cars' tires along a stretch of the FDR Drive - a major road along the east side of Manhattan.
And in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, workers waded through knee-high water as they tried to unclog a drain as cardboard and other debris floated by.
There had been no storm-related deaths or critical injuries as of midday (1600 GMT), city officials said.
Flood warnings and advisories from the weather service are currently in place for some 18 million people in the New York metropolitan area and in other major cities along the East Coast.
- This story was first published by BBC.
