A state of emergency has been declared in New York City after what mayor Bill de Blasio is calling "an historic weather event".
The subway system, the backbone of the city's infrastructure, has been shut down as its tunnels and stations fill with rainwater.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered all flights in and out of the city to stop immediately, effectively closing three major airports.
Twitter video posted from Newark Airport shows the baggage collection area underwater.
Another video shows water inundating subway stations and even subway trains themselves.
The New York Fire Department has responded to more than 1000 callouts in just two hours with reports of people trapped in cars and buildings.
New York's Central Park recorded 8cm of rain within one hour.
Extensive flooding has hit The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens as well as New Jersey.
The rain is a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida moving across the northeast of US after hitting Louisiana over the weekend.
It is the first time in history that a flash flood emergency had been issued for New York.
