Privacy update — September 18, 2026: Identifying details have been removed under our victim privacy policy.
May 21, 2026. This is the video that shows exactly how dangerous last night’s flooding was. A woman steps off a city bus and is immediately knocked sideways by surging floodwater, carried down the street like debris.
“A woman steps off the bus in New York City and is instantly swallowed by rainwater surging from the streets, knocking her sideways and carrying her down the street like garbage in a sewer.”
Why This Is So Dangerous
Six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet. Twelve inches can float a car. The water in this video is moving fast enough to sweep a person off balance the moment she steps onto the curb — before she even has a chance to assess the conditions.
This is the scenario emergency managers warn about but that most people don’t take seriously until they see it happen. The National Weather Service’s “Turn Around Don’t Drown” campaign exists because more people die in flash floods from walking or driving into moving water than from any other flood-related cause.
The Compounding Problem
The woman in this video likely had no warning. As we reported last night, not a single Wireless Emergency Alert was sent to phones in the neighborhoods experiencing the worst flooding. No push notification from NotifyNYC. No WEA alert. She stepped off a city bus into a wall of water she didn’t know was there.
What Last Night’s Storm Did
The May 20 severe thunderstorm dumped an estimated 6 inches of rain in under an hour across NYC boroughs, producing:
- Every route from NYC to Long Island cut off by flooding — LIE, Jackie Robinson Pkwy, Hillside Ave, Hempstead Ave, Atlantic Ave all impassable simultaneously
- Homes flooding at Merrick & Liberty Ave with zero emergency alerts
- Subway stations turned into waterfalls
- Three sinkholes in six days — including a LaGuardia runway and a school bus with 39 kids
- 10,700+ PSEG Long Island customers without power at peak
If You’re Caught in Moving Floodwater on Foot
- Do not attempt to walk through flowing water — even ankle-deep moving water can knock you down
- If you’re on a bus or in a vehicle: Stay inside until the water recedes or emergency responders arrive. The vehicle is safer than the water.
- If you’re swept off your feet: Try to float on your back with feet pointed downstream to fend off obstacles. Grab onto anything stable — a pole, railing, tree, parked car
- Move to higher ground immediately — even a few feet of elevation above the street can save your life
- Call 911 if you or anyone else is trapped or in danger
Full Storm Coverage
- LIVE Storm Damage Roundup — 20+ Incidents
- Viral video on NYC’s flood-damaged infrastructure
- Dr. Dao: Long Island’s Sinkhole Geology
- Homes Flooding — No Emergency Alerts Sent
- Car Submerged on Jackie Robinson Pkwy — Rescue Video
Were You Injured?
If you or someone you know was injured during the May 20 storm — whether in a car accident caused by flooding, a slip and fall from downed debris, or property damage from infrastructure failure — you may have a legal claim. Under New York law, claims against a city or county for inadequate emergency response or infrastructure failure must be filed within 90 days under General Municipal Law §50-e. A qualified personal injury attorney may be able to help. Free consultations are available for Long Island and NYC accident victims.