After a heavy rainstorm swept through New York City on Thursday, July 31, inundating parts of the city with torrential downpours, August is off to a gentler, quieter start, with temperatures trending below average and a high of just 77 degrees.

The National Weather Service issued a citywide flash flood alert Thursday, forecasting between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain — with up to 5 inches possible in some areas. Two weeks’ worth of rain pummeled the city in just one afternoon, though the storm’s intensity varied widely by borough.

While Central Park recorded only about a quarter-inch of rain, parts of Queens were hit with more than 3 inches. The deluge turned the Clearview Expressway into a river, prompting FDNY and NYPD crews to rescue stranded drivers from their vehicles. On Staten Island

See Full Page