Is a tornado set to hit NYC? A look at the very wet and stormy week ahead
Days after torrential rain turned SoHo streets into rivers and stranded drivers across the city, New Yorkers may be in for another soggy (and potentially dangerous) round of severe weather. Forecasters warn that today, July 21, could bring flash flooding, damaging winds, hail and even a small chance of an isolated tornado as another powerful storm system moves across the Tri-State.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for New York City starting this morning and forecasters have placed much of the region under an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms. Although tornadoes are relatively rare in the five boroughs, meteorologists say conditions could support isolated twisters, especially west of the city into New Jersey where the atmosphere is expected to become more unstable. The tornado threat for New York City itself remains low, but it’s not zero—and it's enough that city officials are urging residents to stay weather-aware throughout the day.
The bigger concern for most New Yorkers is likely to be flooding. Forecasters expect showers and thunderstorms to develop throughout the day before intensifying during the evening commute. Some storms could dump more than two inches of rain per hour, creating "training" thunderstorms that repeatedly move over the same neighborhoods. That's exactly what happened during Saturday's storms, which flooded parts of SoHo, submerged sections of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Woodside and left homeowners in Queens cleaning up water damage.
In anticipation, New York City has activated its Flash Flood Emergency Plan for the second time in less than a week. The city says crews have been clearing catch basins and taking other preventative measures ahead of the heaviest rain. "Our administration is getting ahead of storms that are heading to our city these next few days and New Yorkers should take time to prepare too," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.
Rain may ease briefly in the afternoon, with the strongest line of thunderstorms expected after 5 pm. That's when forecasters say the greatest risk for flash flooding, damaging wind gusts and hail will arrive, snarling the evening commute and disrupting flights at local airports.
If you live in a basement apartment or a neighborhood that flooded over the weekend, now's the time to have a backup plan. Officials recommend monitoring weather alerts throughout the day and avoiding flooded streets or underpasses—just a few inches of moving water can stall or sweep a vehicle away. If a tornado warning is issued, move to the lowest level of a sturdy building and stay away from windows until the storm passes.
The good news? This isn't expected to be an all-week washout. Once today’s storm system moves through, conditions should gradually improve, though forecasters say scattered showers remain possible later in the week. For now, keep an umbrella handy and don't be surprised if the weather apps get more attention than your group chat today.
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