New Yorkers kayak through flooded Queens streets as powerful cyclone swamps coastal neighborhoods
New Yorkers turned flooded streets into waterways over the weekend, paddling kayaks through parts of Queens as a powerful nor'easter battered the northeastern United States with heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding.
Water in parts of Howard Beach reached from several inches to more than a foot deep as coastal neighborhoods were flooded.
The slow-moving storm brought heavy rain and dangerous conditions across New York and New Jersey, with coastal flood warnings in place along parts of the New York metropolitan shoreline.
People kayak along inundated roads in New York, with some jokingly offering rides to others as they paddle through the floodwater, Sept. 27, 2026. Video by Viory
The storm battered the U.S. Northeast over the weekend with high winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding, knocking out power to more than 100,000 homes and businesses at its peak last Saturday and forcing airlines to cancel more than 400 flights.
Fallen trees, branches and power lines were among the main causes of outages.
New York and New Jersey last Saturday declared states of emergency in areas expected to face the worst conditions.
Along the Jersey Shore, Atlantic City recorded flooding 3.26 feet (0.99 m) above normally dry ground, its highest level since Hurricane Sandy, while Barnegat Bay Lighthouse reached 2.69 feet (0.82 m), also its highest since the 2012 storm.
Extreme amounts of rain, more than 4 inches (10 cm) since Friday in some spots in New Jersey, combined with a surging ocean led to flooding amounts not seen for close to a decade in places used to dealing with high water, AP reported Monday.
The worst of the remaining rainfall was expected Sunday from northern New Jersey into southern New England.
While the storm was gradually weakening, tidal flooding would stay through high-tide cycles Sunday night, said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
In New York City, water a few inches deep filled streets in the Howard Beach neighborhood but did not deter residents from venturing out for coffee Sunday morning, according to AP.
Carole Ann Palmer, who owns Jingles Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven, New Jersey, said this was the worst flooding she’s seen in 10 years.
"Yesterday, I was like, oh my God, it just keeps getting higher and higher," Palmer, who lives above the store, told AP.
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