Severe flash flooding and thunderstorms batter NYC leaving cars and streets submerged just hours before World Cup final

NEW YORK has been left swamped after flash floods swept the state just hours before the World Cup final. Argentina are preparing to take on Spain in the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The streets of New York have been left swamped after flash floods caused mayhem Credit: X/Floridap8triot A man wades through the streets in chest-high water Credit: X/ABC7 Bins were seen floating through the streets after heavy rain battered the region Credit: X/JeanSuriel A car is swept through the streets by huge floods Credit: X/ABC7 Parts of New York City and New Jersey were hit by severe storms on Saturday, even triggering a tornado warning. Streets were sent under water leaving cars submerged as drivers were forced to wade through floods to safety. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Within a few hours the National Weather Service reported between two and four inches of rain had fallen. The extreme weather has sparked travel chaos after water cascaded into subway stations and traffic was brought to a standstill with lanes blocked. Former England goalkeeper shared a video of himself walking in New York amid the storm Credit: Joehartofficial/Instagram Water cascaded into subway stations, pouring over trains and platforms Credit: X/JeanSuriel The flash floods also caused severe delays at airports including, John F. Kennedy International, with major flight cancellations and delays. Saturday’s New York Yankees-Dodgers game at Yankee Stadium was cancelled due to the weather. It is expected to be rescheduled for this afternoon. Former England goalkeeper Joe Heart shared a video of himself walking barefoot through the flooded streets amid the rain storm. “Shoes are off, trainers are ruined”, he said in the post on Instagram. Most read in Sport A fire engine attempts to drive through the floods Credit: X/ABC7 A firefighter rescues a man stranded on a ledge by rising water levels Credit: X/ABC7 Separate footage showed trash cans and outdoor restaurant umbrellas floating down flooded avenues. There had already been calls to move the World Cup final due to smoky clouds hanging over the state from wildfires burning across Canada. And in a dramatic twist the World Cup final could be in further peril due to the emergency flood warning. Residents of New York City received an alert from the National Weather Service to their phones at around 12.30pm on Saturday. Drivers sit atop their cars as flooding brings traffic to a standstill Credit: X/JeanSuriel People stand knee-deep in flooded streets amid a frantic clean-up effort Credit: X/JeanSuriel “A FLASH FLOOD WARNING is in effect for this area until 3.30pm EDT,” it read. “This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.” A Tornado warning issued across much of New Jersey yesterday has since expired. The storms have begun to pull away with cleaner air expected to sweep across the region. But severe thunderstorm warnings remain for parts of New Jersey which could contain 70mph wind gusts, according to ABC7. Regardless of the ultimate outcome to the World Cup Final, it has caused utter chaos for Spain and Argentina’s final preparations. Argentina were due to take to the practice field at the Red Bulls Performance Center in Morristown, New Jersey at 11.30am EDT. A major thunderstorm hit the area just before their scheduled start time and delayed their training by 45 minutes. A severe storm warning remains over New Jersey which has already been battered by heavy rain Credit: Reuters The streets of New York have been left swamped after flash floods caused mayhem Credit: x/ABC7 They did eventually get out on the pitch, while Spain were unable to altogether. That is not to say that Argentina have solely benefitted from having better weather conditions. Lionel Scaloni’s side had their flight from their Kansas City base to New Jersey delayed by weather. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani warned on social media: “Don’t risk your safety in these dangerous conditions. – Exercise caution while traveling. “Take public transit whenever possible. Never walk, bike, or drive through floodwaters. No destination is worth risking your safety.” Thankfully, the forecast for East Rutherford today looks good with sunny spells and just a one per cent chance of rain. It remains to be seen whether the aftermath of the adverse weather will have any impact on the regions ageing infrastructure, however. 1 comment1