Videos, photos show submerged cars amid flash floods in New York

Catastrophic flooding turned neighborhood streets into raging waterways as videos show floodwater submerging vehicles and closing roads, sparking the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue an “exceedingly rare” flash flood emergency for parts of New York.

The rare warning is only issues when “extremely” heavy rain is leading to a severe threat to human life and “catastrophic damage” from a flash flood, the NWS says on its website.

After hours of nonstop downpouring, the heavy rain produced “life-threatening flash flooding” on Sunday across New York’s Hudson Valley region with Twitter users in Rockland and Orange counties sharing videos and photos of the severe weather. Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State Police (NYSP) urged people to stay home amid the dangerous conditions.

Newsweek reached out via email and Twitter to the representatives for the NWS, Highland Falls Police Department and West Point.

Steven Nevel, NYSP public information officer, told Newsweek in an email on Sunday evening that state police are asking the public to avoid the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County due to heavy flooding.

“There are numerous motorists stranded in Rockland County,” Nevel said to Newsweek. “State Police along with local fire departments and EMS personnel are utilizing personal and equipment to assist this motorists and get them to safety as fast as possible.”

In Focus

This photo provided by the New York State Police shows a vehicle submerged in floodwater near Highland Falls, New York, after heavy rainfall caused a rare flash flood emergency on Sunday, July 9, 2023.

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Shortly after 5 p.m. local time, NYSP shared a post to Facebook and Twitter warning drivers of “heavy flooding and washouts.”

Ben Noll, a meteorologist with National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research in New Zealand, shared an image captured near West Point that shows nearly fully underwater on a flooded street near the academy.

“Current scene in West Point, New York / #HudsonValley The radar estimates that over 10 inches of rain fell today, nearly the amount that typically falls over an entire summer! There’s more rain to come…,” Noll said on Twitter just before 7 p.m.

Dozens of other Twitter users shared jaw-dropping photos and videos of floodwater raging through areas near West Point, such as the villages of Highland Falls and Spring Valley.

One Twitter user, MAJMikeLyons, shared a photo of vehicles submerged underwater near the military academy.

“This is Thayer road at ⁦@WestPoint_USMA. Unbelievable. Find high ground,” MAJMikeLyons tweeted.

A video taken near West Point and shared on Twitter around 4:20 p.m. shows a water rushing into a parking lot as rain continues to pour.

“Just outside West Point, NY,” DanielleV1967 tweeted.

“Terrible scenes out of the Highland Falls/West Point area. Flash Flood Emergency in effect. Video via Nydia,” YWNReporter tweeted along with a video of flooding raging through a yard.

Another Twitter user shared a striking image of water rushing through the main street of Highland Falls, a small village just a few miles from West Point.

“Main Street Highland Falls- getting reports from Local FDs multiple ppl trapped in cars/homes in areas nearby,” NsfwWx said on Twitter.

One video shows flooded yards and a neighborhood street in Highland Falls.

“Im down in myrtle beach on vacation… grandmother in Highland falls NY Orange county sent me this… MULTIPLE landslides, flash flooding and homes have caved into Hudson,” NsfwWx tweeted.

Photos taken by the state police show multiple roadways closed amid the flash flooding.

“JUST IN: Highland Falls is unreachable from I-87 or Route 6, according to state police who provided these photos of the area and West Point,” BlaiseGomez12 said on Twitter just before 6 p.m.

While providing an update on the flooding during a Spectrum News appearance on Sunday, Hochul said she wanted New York residents to be prepared, warning “this is a serious event.”

“My biggest concern is the fact that most people’s lives that are lost during a flood event occur because they’re in their vehicles – not in their homes, but in their vehicles, the governor said. “And I want people to be very cautious about not going into a road that’s closed or if you see any running water.”

Hochul said emergency crews are “on the ground” and ready to respond but noted that they likely won’t be able to assess the damage until possibly Monday morning at the earliest.

She advised New Yorkers to have flashlights, first aid, food, water, and medicine “so you do not have to leave your house once this becomes a very intense storm in the overnight hours.”