People run in the rain outside a subway station in New York City.
People run from the rain in the Chelsea area of New York on July 8, 2012 as Tropical Storm Elsa moves up the Northeast with heavy rain and flash flood warnings.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
  • Heavy rain caused flooding in New York and New Jersey roads and subways.
  • Social media users captured commuters wading through high waters.
  • Airport arrivals were delayed and thousands of residents are without power.
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Shocking videos showed commuters wading through knee-to-waist-deep rainwater in flooded New York subway stations and flooded roads.

The flooding was caused by heavy storming related to Tropical Storm Elsa as it travels northeast.

According to local news station WABC, local airport arrivals were delayed, and nearly 21,000 power outages were reported in New Jersey and 2,011 outages in New York.

Videos shared on social media showed commuters using trash bags to protect themselves and their valuables against the water.

SubwayCreatures, a Twitter account that posts videos of New York City subway occurrences, also posted harrowing footage of the flooding.

Additional videos showed cars on Major Deegan Expressway driving slowly along a flooded path.

According to WABC, the Major Deegan Expressway and other roads in Westchester County and in Hackensack, New Jersey, were closed due to flooding. Major Deegan Expressway has since reopened, and WABC reported that over a dozen people were rescued by police. There are still flash flood warnings in Westchester Hackensack.

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