Tornado-Like Storm Causes Damage In Brooklyn, Cripples Mass Transit Throughout City

NY1 ^ | august 8, 2007

[NYer]

Transit officials are urging New Yorkers to delay their morning commute after severe weather flooded numerous subway stations and roads throughout the area early this morning, leading to massive mass transit delays during the morning rush.

NYC Transit says the subway system cannot handle the morning rush, and that it will take some time to pump enough water out of the system to get service back up and running normally.

"No subway line right now that is running at full normal of its route, so if people are at home, they're about to leave their house, advice to you is don't,” said Paul Fleuranges of NYC Transit. “If you can delay your commute, if you can go in a little later, do so cause right now we probably can't handle you and we probably can't get you from point A to point B."

A heavy storm with tornado-like winds ripped the roofs off several houses in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, damaging several houses and downing a number of trees.

Flatbush residents also reported damaged houses and crushed cars along several blocks.

Power outages were also reported on Staten Island as a result of flooding.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the southeast area of New York City shortly before 6:30 a.m.

As of 7 a.m., the MTA was reporting no R Train subway service between the Canal Street Station and the DeKalb Avenue Station due to flooding at the Lawrence Street and the Canal Street Stations.

Due to flooding at the Times Square-42nd Street Station, shuttle service was unavailable between Grand Central-42nd Street Station and the Times Square-42nd Street Station.

Due to a smoke condition at the Borough Hall Station, there was no 2 or 3 train service in both directions between the Wall Street Station and the Borough Hall Station.

Buses in Manhattan were also being rerouted.

In addition, LIRR service on the Port Washington Branch was suspended in both directions due to a flooding condition at Bayside, with alternate bus service being provided.

Metro North is also reporting no service into or out of Grand Central Terminal on the Hudson, Harlem or New Haven lines because of flooding between the Mott Haven and Melrose sections of the Bronx.

[OB1kNOb]

Thanks for the update xTC. Welcome to FreeRepublic.