Elsa's Impact: New York City Subways Back On Track After Flooding Prior To Storm

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New York City subways are largely back on track after a soaking Thursday made parts of the system resemble a disaster movie.

Cell phone video showed the steps of the 149th Street subway station resembling a waterfall, and straphangers were waist-deep in water at 157th Street in Washington Heights, wading through just to escape the station.

Some tried using trash bags to walk through, but some commuters couldn't help but get soaked.

All this took place prior to Tropical Storm Elsa landing in the area.

Friday morning, the subway system was back to normal, although the MTA received criticism for the subway resembling a waterway.

"The concrete above ground does not absorb the water. The water comes through the vents down the stairs in those waterfalls, and then if the drains at the street level can't handle the water, it goes over the curb and makes things even worse," MTA Chair Sarah Feinberg said.

Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams responded to the video on Twitter, saying, "This is what happens when the MTA makes bad spending decisions for decades. We need congestion pricing [money] ASAP to protect stations from street flooding, elevate entrances and add green infrastructure to absorb flash storm runoff. This cannot be New York."

In:
• The Bronx
• Washington Heights
• Flood
• New York