PHOTOS: Severe Flooding Traps Vehicles On Queens Highway

NEW YORK CITY — A number of vehicles were left underwater and trapped on a Queens highway as the city is currently under a flood watch and travel advisory on Thursday.

Photos posted to social media shows flooding on parts of the Clearview Expressway and Northern Boulevard, with a semi-truck and other cars trapped.

Governor Kathy Hochul has already declared a state of emergency in New York City.

According to the NWS, the city is expected to see 1.5 to 3 inches of rain, with some area seeing as much as 5 inches. Rainfall rates could exceed 2 inches per hour.

Due to the flooding, the Southbound Cross Island Parkway has been closed approaching the Throgs Neck Bridge in Queens.

Other parts of Queens are currently experiencing severe flooding, according to posts on X.

“Thursday’s storm system is expected to bring periods of heavy rain and potentially dangerous conditions to our city,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “Flash flooding is one of the most dangerous hazards we face in New York City because it can happen quickly and without warning. Our emergency teams and city agencies are fully mobilized and prepared, but New Yorkers must also take steps to stay safe. Sign up for Notify NYC, know your exits if you live in a basement apartment, and be ready to act before conditions become life-threatening.”

A travel advisory is in effect until Friday afternoon.