Residents of Queens, New York experienced historic overnight flooding forcing evacuations on Friday as a severe winter storm impacted areas across the US.
The massive storm, including a “bomb cyclone” over the Great Lakes, has frozen most of the United States and hit Queens neigborhoods particularly hard on Thursday night.
Videos showed families fleeing their homes on Friday as water levels rose high enough to leave cars underwater and flood town houses in South Queens, including Rockaway.
Residents trapped in the homes were aided by first responders who were seen carrying elderly residents and children out of ground floor windows on streets with water levels rising past the tires of parked cars.
High tide on Howard Beach, Queens and in areas of Long Island also led to large numbers of trapped vehicles, according to the Daily Mail.
The storm’s impact on New York and New Jersey was severe, with highways shut down from flood waters and fallen trees. Both states also instituted a temporary ban on commercial vehicle traffic with New York Governor Kathy Hochul declaring a state of emergency.
The storm has brought with it frigid temperates and high winds. In some parts of the US, temperatures are predicted to drop 30 degrees by Friday evening, with a wind chill as low as minus 30 and winds of up to 35 miles per hour.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)