The bustling streets of Soho in New York City transformed into a watery spectacle on Saturday as heavy rainfall triggered severe flash flooding, inundating intersections and impeding movement. Shocking video footage captured the usually busy intersection of West Broadway and Grand Street submerged under several feet of water.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as cars, including taxis, cautiously navigated the flooded streets. Pedestrians were observed attempting to shield themselves from the rising water, with some resorting to using garbage bags for protection. Taylor Prokes, a resident who captured viral video of the flooding from her apartment, described the situation as "madness" and stated she had "never seen anything like it."
"People started walking out of the pancake shop with garbage bags over their legs because the pancake shop started flooding," Prokes told The Post. The manager of Felix Bar & Restaurant, Tringa H, echoed this sentiment, comparing the severity to events only seen previously during Hurricane Sandy.
Despite the disruption, some patrons at Felix Bar & Restaurant, who were gathered to watch the World Cup, found ways to maintain a sense of normalcy. Sally Louhibi, a customer at the restaurant, described the scene as "embarrassing" for those walking through the floodwaters in makeshift protective gear, while also noting the unusual circumstances following a recent severe snowstorm.
Floodwaters began to rise in the Soho area around 12:15 p.m. on Saturday and had receded by approximately 2 p.m., with the streets completely drained by 2:30 p.m. The city's Office of Emergency Management had issued flash flooding warnings across all five boroughs, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated in lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn, and Queens. The downpour also led to ground stops at city airports and the closure of major expressways.