Wildfire Smoke and Flooding Strike New York City at Once

On July 18, 2026, smoke from Canadian wildfires made New York City's air unsafe to breathe. At the same time, heavy rainstorms dropped more than 2.5 inches of water, causing sudden floods across northern New Jersey and NYC. Water poured into Penn Station. Streets from Jamaica to Greenpoint filled with water. Winds were expected to clear the smoke later that day.