Dozens Of Abandoned Vehicles Submerged On Major Deegan Expressway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused flooding that stalled vehicles and destroyed structures across New York City.
The Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx resembled a movie scene, CBS2’s Kiran Dhillon reported Thursday.
Dozens of abandoned vehicles were partially submerged on the expressway that was overwhelmed by flash flooding. Crews were in the process of draining the expressway and towing the cars.
Some New Yorkers had to see it for themselves.
“I’m blown away. Shocked is, I’m past that. Everyone is like, they can’t believe it,” one person said.
“I’ve never seen this before. Other rivers… get flooded, but not the Major Deegan,” another said.
The cars, along with hundreds more across the city, including in Bushwick, were submerged at times. Many were destroyed after a deluge of rain pounded the area.
The rain knocked down structures along the way.
In Whitestone, Queens, a crew spent the morning clearing away a massive canopy at the Exxon gas station off the Cross Island Parkway. Luckily, no one was hurt.
“This is very dangerous for everybody,” said Sofia Romero.
The gas station’s manager said the heavy rainfall caused the structure to collapse overnight, crushing a car while its owner was inside the market paying for gas.
“The poor person, whoever’s car that it, I feel bad for them,” said Sean Hubish.
Homes and businesses were also hit by the floods.
Eight feet of water cascaded into Jitendra Shah’s home in Fresh Meadows, causing up to $30,000 in damage.
“I’m not feeling good. I’m very sad that a lot of things are damaged, that’s a washer, dryer, furniture, TV,” Shah said.
Nearby, Amy Chen’s home was also damaged.
“The window burst open and I was like, I’ve never seen a waterfall in my own basement before,” Chen said.
Her neighbor posted a video on Instagram showing the flood.
“I was actually pumping up floaties in case we had to make a run for it,” said Chen.
When the water finally receded, broken cars and buses littered the area, especially on Utopia Parkway.
Many vehicles parked on the street were pushed away in the flood.
Meanwhile, the city said anyone who owns a car that will be towed off the Major Deegan should call 311 to find out where to pick it up.
There was no immediate word on when the expressway would be fully cleared.
CBS2’s Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.
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September 03, 2021 at 04:57AM
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