By Jeffery Harrell
A sudden downpour Tuesday afternoon flooded roads and subway stations as the remnants of Hurricane Florence swept through New York City.
The inclement weather hit the beleaguered MTA the hardest. As the torrential rains fell in sheets, a waterfall cascaded into Penn Station which briefly disrupted service to the C and E trains, according to the New York City Transit. The run-off filled the station with ankle deep puddles and sent commuters rushing for cover.
Flash flooding also hit Astoria, completely submerging the intersection of 37th Avenue and 48th Street around 1 p.m. Those who attempted to pass through were aided by tow trucks to pull their vehicles out of the water that rose up to their windows.
Ken Lam, a 41-year-old Sunnyside resident who owns a home furnishing business — located at 37-02 48th St. — watched from his front door that sits six steps above ground level, as the water rose in a matter of minutes.
“It started raining and about 10 minutes later, the water was splashing into my shop,” he said.
Lam spent the afternoon airing out the damp model sinks and countertops that littered the store. A thin film of rain-water covered the tile floor of the shop. “I know better and I park around the corner,” he said pointing at the cars parked on the street, “they are not so lucky.”
