Storms cause big problems across NYC area

Cleanup underway after powerful storms

Neighborhoods in Manhattan and the Bronx are beginning to clean up after strong storms that moved through the area yesterday caused major flooding and even created a sinkhole that swallowed up a van.

NEW YORK - Parts of the New York City region turned into rivers and waterfalls after the heavy rain on Monday. At one point, a sinkhole opened up in the Bronx swallowing a van.

"As soon as I come out to smoke my cigarette, I see the van," said Tony Papadopolous. He’s the owner of the van, which was doing a sort of balancing act, teetering on the edge of a massive sinkhole in the middle of Radcliffe Avenue in the Morris Park section of the Bronx.

Eventually, the road underneath started giving away and resulted in the van ending up at the bottom.

And now, the Department of Environmental Protection is investigating to see if the heavy rain contributed to that sinkhole.

Subways became another issue, turning into a water park of sorts, with all the rain in such a short time.

The MTA says it "is not a submarine so it cannot be completely impervious to water with many openings including staircases and street level drainage coming into the station that make it susceptible to flooding."

On land, at least one MTA bus became somewhat of an amphibious vehicle while driving in Washington Heights at 157th and Broadway.

People who live in New Jersey were not spared from the storm.

"It’s been wild," said one driver, "It always gets flooded over here. The shop is right there and I have no way to get in."