FDNY Firefighters Rescue Drivers Stranded in High Water

Motorists clung to the side of a Queens overpass until firefighters managed to reach them.

John Annese

New York Daily News

(TNS)

Hundreds of homes and businesses in Queens were without power Sunday after a sudden storm caused havoc across the city a day earlier, flooding major highways and leaving motorists stranded.

The storm, which pounded the tri-state area Saturday afternoon and evening, came after days of heat, humidity and smoke-clogged skies, at one point trapping drivers on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Queens Boulevard.

Dramatic videos show an FDNY truck driving through deep waters and firefighters helping motorists as they cling to the side of a BQE overpass to get to safety.

By Sunday, the sun was shining and the air quality had improved but the clean-up work was still underway, with nearly 450 Con Ed customers still without power in Queens as of 9:20 a.m.

On Saturday, JFK and LaGuardia Airports saw 235 and 184 flights cancelled respectively, but by Sunday, air traffic was improving, with 76 cancellations at JFK and 50 at LaGuardia.

©2026 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!