New York City is beginning to clean up as floodwaters receded Sunday morning. Heavy rainfall Saturday afternoon dropped over an inch of rain across much of the city, with more than three inches falling in some places, according to the National Weather Service.
In Queens, a firetruck had to drive through water deep enough to float an SUV so firefighters could rescue drivers stranded on the hood of a truck. More: https://t.co/Ldm4RLDfiA pic.twitter.com/fbh2CPr5tv
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 18, 2026
The water was deep enough and moved fast enough to carry SUVs in Queens. Video from ABC7 New York shows a fire truck in water nearly up to the top of its wheels attempting to rescue drivers stuck on the highway.
Severe storms swept through the New York City area on Saturday, bringing heavy rain that flooded streets and sent water cascading down the steps of a subway station. pic.twitter.com/nza75Du4RV
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) July 19, 2026
Airports across the Tri-State area also experienced severe impacts due to the rain. LaGuardia Airport in Queens fared the worst, with around half of its flights canceled Saturday, according to data from FlightAware. More than 450 flights in and out of New York and New Jersey — about 15% — were also canceled Sunday morning, creating problems for fans making last-minute treks to the area for the World Cup final.
The rain did not stop Argentina fans already in the city from gathering in Times Square for a rally ahead of the team’s matchup with Spain.
Argentina fans have taken over Times Square the night before the 2026 World Cup Final 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/lj83pB7WaL
— Ultras Clips (@ultras_clips) July 19, 2026
The rain cut Spain’s final practice short Saturday. The team was scheduled to train in nearby Whippany, New Jersey, as the storm rolled in.
Rain clears wildfire smoke
The rain did clear much of the wildfire smoke from the area, improving air quality for the first time in over a week. The AQI dropped to around 60 — considered moderate — down from the 180s earlier during the week.
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