Despite Nearby Damage, Northwest Queens Unscathed By Storm

ASTORIA-LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Northwest Queens emerged largely unscathed from the effects of Tropical Storm Henri, locals say, despite other areas of the borough that suffered flooding and damage.

The storm, which swept across the five boroughs this weekend, gave the city its wettest hour on record and rained out the Central Park mega-concert.

New Yorkers in southeast Queens saw the boroughs greatest rainfall as of Monday morning, with winds toppling trees and water flooding streets in several neighborhoods.

Over the course of 48 hours, nearly 6 inches of rain reportedly fell in Howard Beach, a neighborhood that's seen recurrent damage from coastal flooding. Other Jamaica Bay-side neighborhoods suffered heavy rain too, with more than 10 percent of flights grounded at John F. Kennedy International Airport after four-plus inches of rain fell in the area.

In Astoria and Long Island City, however, Tropical Storm Henri had about as much impact as a rainy day, locals say.

“I wouldn't even know there was a hurricane in the region. Just seems like another dreary, rainy day. No real wind to speak of,” wrote one northwest Queens resident on a community thread where locals recounted their experiences of the storm.

One person who lives near Hallett's Cove Beach said that their neighborhood is “relatively fine. Tide is actually lower than usual at the moment,” they wrote.

Another, who lives nearby, described the storm as “basically just a rainy day,” adding that they didn’t see flooding on a drive out to New Jersey on Sunday. “[It was] actually one of the easiest commutes I've had recently, traffic was very light.”

A couple of people who live near Astoria Park said that the area was relatively unaffected by the storm, too. One saw some “very minor and isolated” flooding, while another described the scene as “just a normal rainy day.”

Some area transportation was impacted by Tropical Storm Henri, however.

3.5 inches of rain fell on LaGuardia Airport over the weekend, grounding 23 percent of flights.

At the Court Square subway station water rained into the tracks, according to a video shared on social media, though the damage was limited compared to widespread track flooding in Brooklyn.

As of Monday morning there were some longer waits on trains that run through northwest Queens — including F, M, N, and Q lines — according to the MTA.

New Yorkers in Astoria and Long Island City aren’t totally in the clear, however, since heavy rain remains in the city’s forecast for Monday.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch until Tuesday at 2 a.m., adding that the city could see anywhere from two to four more inches of rain this afternoon.

Rain leaves the forecast starting Tuesday, forecasts show.