Tropical storm Henri floods NYC and the tri-state area

New York, New York - After this weekend's much-anticipated tropical storm Henri, most residents in New York and New Jersey considered themselves lucky. Those in other areas of the Northeast – not so much.

Times Square in NYC saw heavy rainfall on Saturday night and throughout Sunday, with parts of the city experiencing flooding.
Times Square in NYC saw heavy rainfall on Saturday night and throughout Sunday, with parts of the city experiencing flooding.  © IMAGO / UPI Photo

"There's a little water there, but all in all, it came out OK," Newark resident Sam Daman told TAG24. His partially flooded basement was heralded as a win, all things considered.

This seemed to be the sentiment of many in New York and New Jersey who simply saw "a lot of rain," as Henri was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Sunday morning.

The hurricane warning was also initially in effect for Long Island, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, with flood warnings issued for more than 35 million people.

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New York City's brunt included flooding in subway stations and streets, and incredible scenes of One World Trade Center surrounded by lighting bolts.

It also included the wettest hour on record for NYC. Central Park received 1.94 inches of rainfall from just 10 to 11 PM on Saturday night, as its star-studded Homecoming Week culmination concert was cancelled midway through due to lightning warnings.

Still, there was not as much damage as expected. Yet parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island were dealing with a different story.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the storm's eye hit the east coast near the town of Westerly, Rhode Island, reaching speeds of around 60 miles per hour.

"We saw significant flooding in areas and power outages throughout much of the town," Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said afterwards.

On Monday, thousands of residents in the state are still without power, with at least 8,000 more customers in the same boat in Connecticut.

Connecticut's surge also forced the evacuation of multiple residences including four nursing homes, displacing 250 seniors, according to NBC Boston.

On the heels of Henri, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Massachusetts around 12 PM EST on Monday, bringing a series of tornado warnings and more flooding.

The president weighed in

Rainfall from Storm Henri caused water leakage at the Times Square 42nd Street subway station on Sunday, affecting the flow of passengers to board the train.
Rainfall from Storm Henri caused water leakage at the Times Square 42nd Street subway station on Sunday, affecting the flow of passengers to board the train.  © IMAGO / TheNews2

President Joe Biden weighed in on Sunday, and was in talks with the Northeast's governors to be prepared to provide aid to the seven states in Henri's path.

"We are taking it seriously because of the size and the storm surge and the rainfall it's producing," the president said of the storm in his remarks on Sunday afternoon.

An additional one to three inches of heavy rain is forecasted on Monday for parts of the tri-state, with significant flood watches remaining in effect as far north as Vermont and New Hampshire.

Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo

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