A construction contractor accidentally drilled a hole into a key water tunnel running under Manhattan, sending streams of water onto streets and causing a traffic tailback. The leak sprung on the Manhattan side of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, which carries around 100,000 cars every day.
Cathy Sheridan of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said the hole was around 2.5 inches long and bore right through the tunnel’s cast iron covering. At a press conference, she told reporters, “When someone drills through all those layers, it’s going to cause a leak.”
Video footage posted online showed water flowing out of the tunnels and onto Manhattan’s streets, with drivers demanding to know what was happening. The flood came down on top of people’s cars as they made their way into New York’s famous borough. Drilling contractor Warren George explained that the underground work related to a new esplanade that is due to be built near the United Nations building.
The accident happened just weeks after the flooding on Long Island brought down entire roads, causing a rare emergency in the area. Video footage on social media showed mudslides and closed roads as the Long Island Expressway was closed to traffic, and emergency rescue teams were deployed to Nesconset, Ronkonkoma, Smithtown, and St. James. The flooding, caused by heavy rains, affected apartment buildings and homes, but there were no reports of injuries or fatalities.
The unusual August weather also led to flight cancelations and train delays throughout the Empire State. Highways were closed in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, which were left with standing water, while parts of Central Park and its surroundings were impassable.
In neighboring New Jersey, traffic cameras showed cars swerving to avoid rising waters flowing onto streets and highways. Severe storm threats were issued for nearby states, and airports, including LaGuardia and JFK, limited traffic on their runways.
Experts say the US is leading the world in unusual weather developments. North Carolina state climatologist Kathie Dello said the problem is partly bad luck and America’s location on the globe. Gulfs, elevated terrain, and varied air masses, which are uniquely placed together in the US, are the primary causes, she said.
