Hold onto your hats!
Tropical Storm Isaias began wreaking havoc on New York City on Tuesday morning, closing all beaches, flooding streets, causing trees to collapse, manhole transformers to blow and, worst, power outages across the Five Boroughs.
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.
More than 250,000 New Yorkers are without power--the second highest total for a storm in the company's history, behind only Superstorm Sandy--and multiple subway routes have been suspended as heavy winds brought by Tropical Storm Isaias continue lashing the five boroughs on Tuesday afternoon.
The power outages were impacting all boroughs as of 5 p.m., with the largest concentration in Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, according to Con Ed's service map.
According to the National Hurricane Center, a buoy in the New York Harbor has reported sustained wind of 54 miles per hour and a single gust to 63 miles per hour. More damaging winds are expected to hit the New York City area in the coming hours.
As a result, the MTA announced that they will be running indoor-only subway service until the winds die down. Trees and other debris had previously fallen on tracks, the agency said, leading to suspensions on the A, B, L, Q, and 3 trains, as well as the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. The Staten Island Ferry has also suspended service until at least 5 p.m.
A man was killed by a falling tree in Queens, as New Yorkers across the city reported branches, debris and other objects sent crashing to the ground by powerful winds.
So far, New Jersey has absorbed the worst of the storm. At least 780,000 people were without power as of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Governor Phil Murphy. All NJ Transit service has been suspended due to overhead wire and signal issues.
According to NJ.com, a tornado touched down in Cape May on Tuesday morning, and a second was believed to be spotted on Long Beach Island.