NY1.com

Sunday, March 14, 2010   48º F

Updated 07/29/2009 09:16 PM

Rainstorm Brings Power Outages, Flooding

By: NY1 News

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A strong rainstorm temporarily stalled PATH train service and caused thousands of power outages in Staten Island Wednesday.

Two separate power outages on Staten Island, one on the South Shore and one mid-Island, affected power for more than 2,500 customers. As of early Wednesday evening, about 380 customers were still affected.

Staten Island also had at least one downed tree.

Residents said the important thing was to stay out of harm's way.

"I just hope people try to get home and stay safe because this is really bad," said one Staten Island resident. "It's not a place for somebody to be. You know, I'm trying to get home now, and it's hard."

"It feels like in a carwash, but without the car," said another.

Before evening rush hour, flooding stalled PATH train service in both directions. Currently, PATH service between Manhattan and New Jersey has been restored.

There was reported flooding in the FDR Drive's southbound lane by Stuyvesant City and the northbound lane by the Robert F. Kennedy/Triborough Bridge.

Flooding blocked the eastbound lanes of the Staten Island Expressway and Long Island Expressway. There were also slowdowns on the Garden State Parkway near exit 143 and 144.

Travel in and out of area airports has also been affected. As of this hour, there are average delays of about three hours at LaGuardia Airport, about two-and-a-half hours at John F. Kennedy Airport and about four hours at Newark International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration recommends calling the airlines directly for details.