Severe Flooding Hits Soho

Soho experienced major disruptions on Saturday due to heavy rainfall.

The intense downpour led to significant flooding in New York, transforming the usually bustling streets of Soho into a scene reminiscent of a disaster zone.

Alarming footage shows the busy intersection of West Broadway and Grand Street submerged, capturing the sheer volume of water that swept through the area.

Several vehicles, including a taxi, were caught attempting to navigate the flooded streets, while pedestrians found themselves stranded, some resorting to using garbage bags to shield themselves from the rising water.

Taylor Prokes, 35, who resides above Felix Bar and Restaurant with a view of the area, commented on the unusual situation, stating, “I’ve never seen anything like it. It was crazy.” She recounted how patrons at a nearby pancake shop began to leave with garbage bags wrapped around their feet as the shop started to flood.

Tringa H., a manager at Felix, echoed Prokes’s observations, mentioning that the flooding was unprecedented, save for Hurricane Sandy. Having lived in New York all her life, she noted, “This is definitely the worst I’ve seen.” However, she added, “It was kind of fun” in a way, as people continued to flock to Felix despite the chaos. She described customers wading through the water and laughing about the situation.

Meanwhile, Sally Roohi, 45, was at Felix enjoying the World Cup match between France and England as the flooding worsened. She humorously remarked, “It feels like the world exploded because France was supposed to be in the final tomorrow,” making light of the absurdity of the moment.

Sally described the scene outside as quite chaotic, saying, “The whole street was deserted, cars weren’t moving properly. People were trying to escape with garbage bags on their backs. It’s really embarrassing.” She expressed confusion over the recent weather events in New York, recalling a heavy snowstorm that had come earlier.

Her husband, Thielif Rouhi, 51, who has lived in the area for over a decade, shared his astonishment at the flood, exclaiming, “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Witnesses reported that flooding began around 12:15 p.m. Saturday and had largely receded by 2:30 p.m.

As a precaution, flash flood warnings were issued for all five boroughs, with the heavy rain also causing disruptions at the city’s busiest airport and closing major highways. Lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn, and Queens experienced the highest rainfall, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management.