Severe thunderstorms deluged parts of New York and New Jersey on Saturday, causing widespread flash flooding that disrupted transportation and affected preparations for the World Cup final. The storms prompted flight suspensions at major regional airports and forced the cancellation of one team's final outdoor training session.
Footage from Citizen App NYC showed vehicles navigating through deep floodwaters on streets across New York City as heavy rain overwhelmed drainage systems. The inundation led to the closure of sections of the Long Island and Clearview expressways in Queens, requiring police to rescue motorists trapped in their vehicles. The Clearview Expressway later reopened, though delays persisted.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stating, "Don’t risk your safety in these dangerous conditions." Emergency management officials urged individuals in low-lying areas to seek higher ground and to evacuate basements before water entered homes, emphasizing that "Flooding can develop in minutes."
The storms also impacted the teams preparing for the World Cup final. Spain was forced to cancel its final outdoor training session in Whippany due to lightning, while Argentina's practice in Morristown was delayed by 45 minutes. Both teams eventually managed to conduct indoor warm-ups or take to the field later.
Three major airports in the region—John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport—experienced temporary flight suspensions and ground stops imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Delays at LaGuardia stretched to as long as four hours by early Saturday afternoon.
A flood watch remained in effect for eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, where MetLife Stadium is located, as well as northeastern New Jersey and New York City, until 2 a.m. Sunday. While the heaviest rain moved south and east by late Saturday, the National Weather Service warned of the potential for rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour and the possibility of damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
The severe weather also had an unexpected benefit: clearing smoke from Canadian wildfires that had previously affected air quality. An air-quality health advisory for New York City, which had been in effect due to fine-particle pollution pushing the Air Quality Index above 100, was expected to improve to moderate levels before the championship match. Sunday's forecast predicted clear skies, low humidity, light winds, and temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit for the final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium.