With subways, metro stations flooded and roads filled with water, signs of storm Elsa closing in were high as heavy rains battered New York city on Friday.
The impact of the rains could be seen in the images and videos posted on social media with many users comparing New York with remote cities while many raised climate change warnings.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of possible new flooding, with the expected arrival of heavy rains brought by Storm Elsa, which is moving up from Florida.
Between 2 and 4 inches of water fell in a series of thunderstorms over the city and surrounding areas, the NWS said, "causing extensive flash flooding in certain places."
Subway passengers tweeted video footage of flooded platforms at the 157th Street station north of Manhattan, reported AFP. Commuters could be seen waist-deep in water, crossing a dark pool to reach the station's platforms.
"Crews are actively addressing flooding issues in our stations. We’ve hardened stations in coastal flooding zones, but when streets above flood, water will always flow downhill. Please be safe and do not enter flooded stations while our crews work to resolve this," New York City Transit Subway tweeted.
The New York Police Department also issued warning to avoid specific routes due to severe flooding.
The newly declared winner of New York's mayoral primary, Eric Adams, wrote on Twitter: "This is what happens when the MTA makes bad spending decisions for decades. We need congestion pricing $ ASAP to protect stations from street flooding, elevate entrances and add green infrastructure to absorb flash storm runoff. This cannot be New York."
Here are some of the viral photos and videos from New York shared on Twitter: