A person shields themselves from rainfall with a plastic bag on July 31, 2025 in New York City. Widespread storms swept across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Thursday, bringing bursts of heavy rain.

On Thursday, July 31, Chantal McLaughlin was near the Hudson Line train departing at 3:51 p.m., when she recorded water pouring onto the train and subway track from the ceiling above it. The train was leaving the Grand Central Terminal.

Flooding in New York City created a waterfall in the underground tunnels of the subway system on Thursday (July 31). New York Governor Kathy Hochul and her acting counterpart in New Jersey said they were declaring states of emergency for areas facing the threat of extreme flash floods forecast for much of the Eastern Seaboard.

Storms and torrential rain soaked the tristate area on Thursday, triggering dangerous flash flooding that inundated basements, roads and New York City’s lifeline: the subway