Photos show flash flooding damage in New York City-area storms
Storms prompted flash flood warnings across the New York City metropolitan area Monday night, with photos showing severe flooding across the city and in parts of New York state and New Jersey.
Heavy rain moved through the region Monday, causing flooding in the city's northern suburbs and New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency. The flash floods were blamed for two deaths in New Jersey.
New York City subway service experienced severe delays due to stations flooding, according to the . Metro-North Railroad service into and out of Grand Central Terminal was also . Commuters were asked to postpone travel until train service could resume between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx.
Drivers also dealt with flooded roads and highways due to the intense rainfall, with many reports in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and Westchester County, New York.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the floods happened "very, very quickly" and that the county received numerous 911 calls.
"It was not something that was just a gradual move up, certainly in some of our more prone areas, like the Bronx River Parkway, right there on Main Street, which traditionally floods when it rains really hard. In those cases, those folks are being rescued by local emergency services personnel, mostly local fire departments," Jenkins said.
Flash flood warnings
Flash flood warnings were in effect for much of the region until about 10 p.m. Monday.
Some of the highest rainfall totals were reported in Somerset and Union counties in New Jersey. Watchung saw 6.51 inches while Mountainside saw 5.34 inches. Nanuet, New York reported 5.03 inches.
Middlesex, Morris and Somerset counties in northern New Jersey remained under a flood warning until 7:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Click here for the latest warnings and watches from the First Alert Weather Team.
New York City subway
Several subway lines were impacted by flooding. A photo from the 28th Street station in Manhattan showed water gushing from a drain and soaking the platform.
Water was pooling on the platform at 34th Street-Penn Station, one of the city's busiest subway stops, as riders carefully maneuvered around.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said riders can expect normal service for the morning commute Tuesday.
"We have all of the subway lines operating, Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road," he told CBS News New York. "People worked overnight, worked their tails off, to make sure that we could accommodate our customers this morning."
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Vehicles stalled in floodwaters in Scotch Plains. An ambulance, UPS truck and a bus struggled in the high water.
CBS News New York witnessed at least one rescue from a vehicle after water overtook parts of Main Street.
Park Avenue was completely flooded.
A rescue team used a frontloader to carry people stranded in the floodwaters to safety.
North Plainfield, New Jersey
It was a chaotic night across Union County, New Jersey. As first responders were busy with dozens of water rescues and trying to shut down roads, they received a report of a house explosion in North Plainfield.
They arrived to find the home in pieces. The force of the explosion was so strong, wood ended up halfway down the block. One of the few structures still standing was the staircase leading up to what used to be the second floor.
Firefighters said the home on Parkview Avenue was engulfed in flames when they first arrived. After getting the fire under control, they did a thorough search and determined the home was unoccupied.
Another house was seen partially submerged in nearby Plainfield.
Roselle Park, New Jersey
Some people walked through ankle-deep water as torrential rain fell in Roselle Park, where cones were set up along some roads to warn drivers to steer clear of deep floodwaters.
The owner of Dowling's Irish Pub & Restaurant on Chestnut Street said 6 inches to a foot of water made its way inside the business.
"Unfortunately, we got hit again. We were hit four years ago with Ida. We invested money into the town, we wanted to stay here and, unfortunately, this is what we got," Russell Olden said.
Saw Mill River Parkway
Westchester County officials said part of the Bronx River Parkway was closed and there was significant flooding on the Sprain Brook Parkway and Saw Mill River Parkway.
"Folks are being rescued, they are being taken out of those cars, and again, so far everyone has been safe and we're going to continue," Jenkins said.
Passengers on a Metro-North train along the Saw Mill River Parkway saw cars stalled and partially submerged in the water, which was up to some vehicles' windows.
As of Tuesday morning, Jenkins said the Bronx River Parkway remained closed from the Sprain Brook Parkway split to White Plains, and the Saw Mill River Parkway was closed between Lawrence Street and Executive Boulevard in Yonkers.
"The Bronx River Parkway, the Saw Mill Parkway, those are in floodplains. So when it rains really hard, they're going to flood," he explained, adding the county is coordinating with the state to reopen the roadways as soon as possible.
Elmsford, New York
Lamont Street off Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford was one of many road that were closed due to flooding.
Valhalla, New York
A street turned into a river in Valhalla.
Nanuet, New York
A mall parking lot flooded in Nanuet.
