Powerful thunderstorms sweep across LI and cause travel issues
Eastbound traffic on the Long Island Expressway at Exit 49 in Melville as a heavy rain falls around 4:00 p.m. Thursday. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
Get the latest on a powerful rainstorm moving through the region Thursday. For full coverage, click here.
Expect overnight showers
Check here throughout the night for the latest storm updates.
Places for LI storm information
Check out these resources for emergency management and preparation:
Future forecast
A 90% chance of showers remains in place for Long Island overnight. It decreases to 40% Friday with the sun beginning to peak through the clouds at about noon, according to the latest forecast. From then on, Long Island and the rest of the region can expect sunny skies with highs nearing 80 and evenings in the mid 60s through at least Tuesday.
LIRR rescue efforts
Jessica Grant, of Stony Brook, told Newsday she was on her way home from Lake George when her LIRR train got stuck in Bayside, Queens. Passengers had to climb down a ladder from the train onto the tracks, Grant said.
"We were stuck for about two, two-and-a-half hours. We were just sitting on the train," Grant said. "About like 15 minutes after we stopped on the tracks all the lights when off so that kind of is when I got a little bit scared."
Latest updates on flights at JFK
Forecasted weather conditions may cause flight disruptions at JFK Airport. Heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding in the region could affect access to the airport. Travelers are strongly advised to check flight status with their airline and allow extra time for travel to… pic.twitter.com/1VuyFSXFWv
— John F. Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) July 31, 2025
Gov. Kathy Hochul on 1010 WINS
"Despite the beautiful start to the morning, we knew this was going happen. It feels like we are on the other side of this."
Latest surf forecast
Atlantic-facing beaches from Montauk to the Jersey Shore are reporting swells up to 1.5 feet long.
Latest from FlightAware
John F. Kennedy International Airport is reporting departure delays of 1 hour 46 minutes to 2 hours, with the length of time increasing. Inbound flights are delayed at their origin at an average of 3 hours 12 minutes.
At LaGuardia Airport, there are departure delays of 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 29 minutes, with the length of time decreasing. Arrival delays for airborne aircrafts are an average of 39 minutes.
There are no delays so far at Long Island MacArthur airport.
LIRR reports delays
Passengers rescued Thursday from an LIRR train in Bayside, Queens. The train was unable to pull up to the platform due to flooded tracks. Credit: John Roca
The LIRR reports delays averaging 10-15 minutes on the Montauk Branch due to the effects of the storm.
Eastbound
- The 4:27pm train from Babylon to Patchogue is 10-15 minutes late.
- The 4:07pm train from Penn Station to Montauk is 10-15 minutes late.
Westbound
- The 2:45pm train from Montauk to Jamaica is 10-15 minutes late.
Areas at risk for flash flooding
Traffic on the Long Island Expressway at Exit 49 in Melville as heavy rain falls Thursday. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
Islip, Brentwood, Deer Park, Lindenhurst, Medford, Ronkonkoma, Babylon, Patchogue, Holbrook, Bay Shore, Melville, Sayville, Amityville, Yaphank, Captree State Park, Gilgo State Park, Central Islip, West Islip, Copiague and East Patchogue, according to NWS.
Flash flood warning
A flash flood warning remains in place for northwestern Nassau County until 5:30 p.m., with a flood watch in place for the rest of Long Island until 7:45 p.m., according to NWS.
Doppler radar update
Doppler radar about 4:30 p.m. indicated thunderstorms were producing heavy rain across the warning areas. Between one and two inches of rain have fallen so far in Suffolk, according to the NWS latest update.
1010 WINS reports
Eastbound traffic on the Long Island Expressway at Exit 49 in Melville as a heavy rain falls around 4:00 p.m. Thursday. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
Accuweather radar showing rates of two- to three inches of rain per hour in Suffolk, with heaviest downpours east of Islip.
LIRR: Port Washington Branch service suspension
Service is suspended in both directions on the Port Washington Branch due to high water east of Flushing Main Street. pic.twitter.com/EWfLU0GCmD
— LIRR (@LIRR) July 31, 2025
NWS: Flash flood warning through 7:45 PM
Flash Flood Warning including Brentwood NY, West Babylon NY and Central Islip NY until 7:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/Azd79T1JEU
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) July 31, 2025
Gov. Hochul declares a state of emergency
Due to heavy rain and potential flooding, New York City and the surrounding counties are under a State of Emergency.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 31, 2025
Be alert. Be safe. Be smart.
We’ll get through this. pic.twitter.com/RkNBWcGYTJ
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