New York and New Jersey deluged by dangerous flash floods ahead of World Cup final

Published: 23:50, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 23:58, 18 July 2026 Flash floods swamped New York City on Saturday, inundating streets, grounding flights and throwing preparations for the World Cup final into chaos. Footage from Citizen App NYC showed cars crawling through floodwater as heavy rain overwhelmed roads across the Big Apple just one day before Argentina and Spain are due to meet at MetLife Stadium. The storms also forced Spain to cancel its final outdoor training session and delayed Argentina’s practice by 45 minutes, Reuters reported. Separate footage posted on X appeared to show cars driving through deep water near the East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium. The motorist said they waited up to 20 minutes for the rain to ease and the water to recede before moving forward. ‘Good thing the final is tomorrow,’ they wrote. A flood watch covering eastern Bergen County, where MetLife is located, northeastern New Jersey and New York City remained in effect until 2am Sunday. Although the heaviest rain had moved south and east by late Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service warned that further storms could produce rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour. Spain canceled its final outdoor practice in nearby Whippany because of lightning, while Argentina’s session in Morristown was delayed by 45 minutes, Reuters reported. The Spanish Football Federation said its players completed an indoor warm-up, while the defending champions eventually made it onto the field. Footage shared by Citizen showed cars crawling through floodwater as heavy rain battered New York City  Cars crawled through deep water as heavy rain overwhelmed roads across the Big Apple The teams were due to meet in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium at 3pm Sunday, bringing the 39-day tournament to a close. The storms reached New York City around noon Saturday and triggered flash flood warnings throughout the five boroughs. Footage from Manhattan’s South Street Seaport showed partially submerged cars as pedestrians trudged through shin-deep water, according to the New York Post. Sections of the Long Island and Clearview expressways in Queens were closed after floodwater overwhelmed the roadways. Police rescued motorists trapped inside their vehicles on the two highways, the Post reported. The Clearview Expressway later reopened at Northern Boulevard, although officials warned drivers to expect lingering delays. Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged New Yorkers to stay off the roads as severe thunderstorms battered the city. A motorist said they waited up to 20 minutes for floodwater near MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to recede before driving through ‘Don’t risk your safety in these dangerous conditions,’ Mamdani said. Officials told residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground and warned people to leave basements before water began entering their homes. ‘Flooding can develop in minutes, so do not wait for water to enter or for another alert before acting,’ New York City Emergency Management warned. ‘Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet, and 1 foot can sweep away a car.’ The National Weather Service said excessive runoff could flood waterways and low-lying areas, while damaging winds and an isolated tornado were also possible. The dangerous conditions caused further turmoil at the region’s three major airports ahead of the final. Flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport were temporarily suspended because of the storms. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed numerous ground stops, while delays at LaGuardia stretched to as long as four hours by early Saturday afternoon. The downpours compounded travel problems for thousands heading into the region for Sunday’s game but were expected to help clear Canadian wildfire smoke from the air. An air-quality health advisory remained in effect across New York City until midnight Saturday after fine-particle pollution pushed the Air Quality Index above 100. Meteorologists interviewed by the Associated Press said the storms should improve air quality from unhealthy to moderate before kickoff. Sunday’s forecast called for sunshine, low humidity, light winds and temperatures around 80 degrees when Argentina and Spain took the field.