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NYC's Rockaways wakes up to streets littered with sperm whale chunks as winter storm floods area

At least three chunks were seen in the Queens neighborhood

QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY: During Storm Elliott, pieces of sperm whale washed up on the streets of a New York City neighborhood, causing distress to residents just before Christmas. On Friday, December 23, the Rockaways in Queens were littered with decomposing whale parts after heavy rains and tidal surges caused flooding in low-lying areas.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the whale parts are most likely the remains of a young sperm whale that washed up on Rockaways Beach last week. Before being buriedunderwater, it was dismembered by the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society as part of a necropsy.

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The ruins are believed to have been disturbed by the harsh weather and carried onto land during the floods. "In one of those "Only in Rockaway” scenarios, it appears parts of the sperm whale that was necropsied last week, is now on Rockaway Beach Blvd and Beach 116th Street. Can’t make this up," reported Rockaway Times reporter Katie McFadden in a tweet with photographs of the whale parts.

After the "bomb" cyclone rushed across the United States, flooding has caused agony along the west coast. Just two days before Christmas, there was significant tidal flooding in parts of the New York coast, forcing a large number of families to leave their homes. Videos show the effects of the ebbing tides, which submerged several cars and flooded townhomes in the Rockaways and other parts of South Queens. First responders from the police and fire departments were on the site helping trapped residents and rescuing youngsters by carrying them on their shoulders.

Although there are no reports of injuries so far, dozens of cars got stuck during the flooding in Howard Beach, Queens, and several parts of Long Island, the Daily Mail reported. Major roads in New York and New Jersey were partially closed due to flooding and fallen trees. The restrictions are in line with a ban on commercial vehicles already in place in some areas of both states. Prior to the storm's arrival, New York Governor Kathy Hochul had declared a state of emergency. As water rose waist-high and engulfed cars in Rockaway, camera footage showed residents being rescued from their first-floor windows and taken to higher ground. Others hurriedly left their homes while carrying duffel bags.

While emergency vehicles navigated through several inches of floodwaters in Howard Beach and adjacent New Jersey, train departures from Hoboken Terminal were delayed by up to 30 minutes due to high water levels. As the devastating storm moved up the East Coast Thursday night, parts of Maine and Massachusetts also experienced significant coastal flooding.

Strong winds predicted

The storm brought severe flooding as well as a strong cold front. The storm has already proven to be a deadly hazard in other regions of the country: Earlier this week, fatal accidents were reported on highways in Kansas, Oklahoma and Oregon. In addition to the already frightening weather conditions, strong winds of up to 35 miles per hour are forecast, resulting in potentially deadly temperatures and a wind chill of minus 30 degrees.