By most accounts, the city was lucky to miss the worst of what the storm had to offer, and maybe now some of us feel like we were a bit overprepared. But as she swept through New York early this morning, hurricane-turned-tropical storm Irene sure did leave her fair share of flooded streets and downed trees in her path. Here are some of the things that happened while you were sleeping, or just too scared to peek out the window today.
Before the wind really picked up, some people were already using Times Square as a Slip ‘n Slide. There were impromptu games of rain-soaked cricket and rugby, too.
Here’s a view from a balcony of the storm as it pounded Brooklyn with a sharp spray and harsh winds, just after 1 a.m.
Gothamist has a nice collection of time-lapse videos of the storm rolling in, like this view from the Upper West Side.
Somehow, more than one group of people thought it was a lovely day for a boat ride. Listen to these guys discuss their rescue in southern New Jersey.
This guy enjoyed a mid-storm ride through the carless Times Square this morning.
Roads near Rockaway Beach were filled with water.
As the hurricane coincided with high tide, a lifeguard shack in Long Beach on Long Island slammed into a boardwalk, missing some nearby police vehicles.
And in this clip shot on a walkabout this morning, New Yorkers wade, bike, and walk their dogs through a massive puddle reaching mid-shin on the Lower East Side.
Brave drivers splish and splash through a flooded roadway in Astoria Park.
