Cleanup after flooding, fallen trees reported across NYC and New Jersey as more severe weather heads our way
MADISON, N.J. -- The New York City area is recovering from the first of a two-punch weather hit. Powerful storms took down trees and flooded busy roadways Tuesday night, and more is on the way as the remnants of Debby move north.
Some of the highest rainfall totals were reported in Ridgewood, New Jersey, which saw 5.79 inches of rain, and Fordham, New York, which saw 5.48 inches.
Leftover showers lingered Wednesday, but it felt about 15 degrees cooler, with highs in the low 70s. Next up, we turn our attention to Debby, as what's left is expected to reach our area Friday into Saturday.
Major damage in Madison, New Jersey
Madison, New Jersey has been a mess since Tuesday night. Dozens of trees fell onto homes and roadways, including a close call on Alexander Avenue. A large tree limb came down into a resident's front yard around 5 p.m. Tuesday, crushing a black SUV. The homeowner said he had just gotten out of the car minutes before the chaos started.
"I had just pulled in the driveway about two minutes earlier. Got out of the car as the rain started to fall, got up on my porch, and then it really started to come down, then the wind started to whip through. The next thing you know, I hear a loud snap," said homeowner Tim Begley. "I watched the tree kind of fall, I'm hoping it doesn't take the wires out and land on my car, and it did both."
Begley described the intense winds.
"It must've been 120 mph winds. I mean, these trees were sideways," Begley said.
Less than a mile away on Park Avenue, a large pine tree snapped like a twig and came down on the roof of a home. The roof was significantly damaged, but everyone was OK.
On Albright Circle, a tree limb smashed into a home.
"So there was a huge limb that they've cut up, and was thrown over there now, that went across the whole length of that part of my house," homeowner Frank Cerutti said.
The roof of his home is now covered in blue tarps.
"When I got home, water was pouring into my house from the damage in the roof. Ceilings were damaged and buckling in," he said.
On Keep Street, a family of four nearly lost everything when a massive tree crashed down on their home. The damage was substantial, but no one was hurt.
"They got really lucky. In fact, most of the community got very lucky," said Christian Licciardi of A Grade Property Restoration.
The mayor said about 150 people were without power, but no injuries have been reported. The National Weather Service will come to survey the damage and determine whether there was a possible tornado.
In Englewood, several dogs and cats had to be rescued from the Start II Shelter along Cedar Avenue after the building flooded. Employees said first responders had to escort volunteers who were unable to reach the shelter due to flooded roads.
The shelter said the pets will remain with foster families until Sunday as they brace for more potential flooding later this week.
Tree crushes several cars in the Bronx
A massive tree also crushed several parked cars on Clafin Avenue near West 195th Street in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx. One belonged to Jakiem Crayon, who said he was lucky to get a parking spot on the busy street and was bringing in his grocery minutes before the tree came crashing down.
"It just makes me appreciate life a lot more, because literally like I said, two minutes [before] I was just lollygagging in the passenger seat, and that's the side that the tree fell on," he said. "I had been there two more minutes I would be under that tree."
"It's completely unreal. This block does tend to have a lot of trees come down," said resident Joseph Gonzalez.
Crews responded to remove the tree Wednesday morning, but residents told CBS New York they have been sounding the alarm about it for years.
"You see the concrete, how it's uplifted. It's been like that for maybe 20 years, before I got to this block," one resident said.
One resident provided CBS New York with a 311 service request dating back to 2023 about the damaged tree that was uprooted.
"That's an old tree, I knew it was going to come up any time, because the roots are up," another resident added.
The Parks Department said the tree had been inspected on July 31 and was slated for removal.
Another large tree split and landed on the roof of a car at 204th Street and 35th Avenue in Bayside, Queens.
In Williamsbridge, a staircase flooded from the excessive amount of water that leaked into an apartment building.
"It sounded like raining in my house," resident Kyle Matthews said.
Other residents said they've been dealing with ongoing flooding issues inside of their units every time it rains. Pieces of the ceiling could be seen on the ground.
"It always happens when it rains. Always happens. It rains in my house, on my baby's clothes. The ceiling fell on me before," Matthews said.
Route 17 remains closed after morning commute
Several major highways, like the Major Deegan Expressway, filled with floodwaters Tuesday night, leaving some drivers stranded for hours.
By daybreak Wednesday, Route 17 remained closed northbound traffic for the morning commute near the Route 46 overpass in Teterboro, New Jersey. It's unclear when it will reopen.
"Coming up 17, I decided to stop at the diner, so I went and got a newspaper, and I realized it was closed off due to the weather," said one driver, who was trying to bring his daughter to Newark Liberty International Airport. "Talking about maybe 2 feet of water over there, it's pretty bad. It's probably going to be like that for most part of the day, and some angry drivers, that's for sure."
NJ Transit service was suspended on the Morris and Essex line overnight because of trees on wires, but later resumed with delays.
Airlines again dealing with delays, cancellations
Airline passengers once again struggled to get to their destinations Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ninety-one flights in and out of LaGuardia Airport were canceled Wednesday and nearly 300 were delayed. Newark Liberty International Airport had 87 cancellations and nearly 250 delays, while at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 71 flights were canceled while nearly 350 were delayed.
CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg said the increase in weather-related issues is out of airlines' control.
"The reality is there's more bad weather. The [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] is reporting more storm activity than ever before," he said.
What airlines can do, however, is bolster customer service and software systems.
"Nothing takes the place of a conversation with an actual human being, and that's where the airlines are truly at fault because they're understaffed in that area. Putting people on 12-hour holds for customer service is not customer service," he said.
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