Hold onto your hats!
Tropical Storm Isaias began wreaking havoc on New York City on Tuesday morning, closing all beaches, flooding streets, and causing trees to collapse and manhole transformers to blow across the Five Boroughs.
City officials have already taken some precautions by erecting dams in parts of Lower Manhattan — though the storm surge is not expected to require them at this time.
City beaches are also closed today, but city lifeguards remained on duty, all donning orange raincoats. Some intrepid beachgoers still took to the sand Tuesday morning, but even many surfers pulled out.
“It’s just too choppy to surf anymore,” said one dedicated surfboarder departing Rockaway Beach.
In Brooklyn, several trees were already down on vehicles, including one in Sunset Park that came with a minor injury. Others in Marine Park went down with nearby power lines.
Officials caution New Yorkers to watch for falling trees and branches, especially where larger trees are located. Firefighters were also dealing with blown manholes in Williamsburg, where several transformers had blown from the water flowing into the mains Tuesday morning.
Parts of the Belt Parkway — mostly right lanes where drains are becoming clogged by debris — are also already flooded, according to police reports. The Verrazzano Bridge is also closed in both directions, on both levels, due to high winds. Overground subways are also closed as high winds have caused trees and other debris to fall on tracks in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
🛑 The Verrazzano Bridge is closed in both directions, both levels, due to high winds. 🛑
— Senator Andrew Gounardes (@Sen_Gounardes) August 4, 2020
There are also fears that Isaias might spawn tornadoes later Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
New York City and much of the tri-state area are under a tornado watch until 4 pm Aug. 4. In the meantime, the area remains under a tropical storm warning and a flash flood advisory.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story first appeared on amNewYork.
