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Hurricane Henri: Brooklyn 'river' video goes viral as storm barrels into Long Island and NYC

Hurricane Henri is expected to make landfall in Long Island on Sunday, August 22

A video showing heavy rains and flash floods in Brooklyn has gone viral as early rains from Hurricane Henri poured down on New York City late Saturday night, August 21.

Henri is expected to make landfall on Long Island Sunday, August 22. Photos showed police and firefighters assisting drivers out of cars that appeared to be completely stuck in more than six inches of water. The National Hurricane Center said that the deluge was one of several flash floods across the region due to storms caused in part by moisture from the oncoming hurricane.

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The video in question showed extensive flooding in Williamsburg as drivers navigated through streets submerged by the earlier than expected deluge. The downpour, coupled with relentless lightning, brought the star-studded We Love NYC Homecoming concert in Central Park to a halt at around 7.30 pm and the event was officially canceled about two hours later, the New York Post reported.

Netizens expressed their shock and wrote messages of help and support for those affected by the flooding. "This can’t be real," one Twitter user reacted. "Trying to wash us away," another commented. "Well thank god y’all aren’t getting a direct hit. I could only imagine the damage that would create," a comment read.

"Take it from someone that gets Hurricane every year Don’t Drive in the flood streets because you can’t see what’s under the water a man hold covers can come open and you drive into it you can’t move your car OR a tree or pole can be under the water then your in trouble," another chimed in.

The National Weather Service said that nearly four inches of rain came down over Central Park on Saturday night. The water even flooded subway stations, and officials were forced to suspend or reroute multiple trains. One tweet showed the tracks in Queens being flooded as the A train waited with its doors open. An MTA rep reported "a water condition" at 79th Street and that the service was completely disrupted between 34th and 79th Streets. 

That said, more flooding is expected when Henri makes landfall in the region on Sunday, August 22. The NHC said that the Category 1 storm is expected to dump several inches of rain across the Big Apple, with storms along the coast of eastern Queens and Long Island. Meteorologists said that all of New York City was under a tropical storm warning as of 11 pm. Meanwhile, trains and flights were already being canceled ahead of the imminent storm at the time of writing.

Henri was moving at 21 miles per hour in the northwest direction, with winds near 75 miles per hour and even stronger gusts, per reports from nearby Air Force aircraft. The NHC said that parts of New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, and New England could witness up to six inches of rain. Meanwhile, some isolated areas could see as many as 10 inches, the New York Post reported.