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Heavy Rain Disrupts Transportation in New York, Delays Flights in Canada | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Media ID: 55373392
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A woman paddles a kayak past an abandoned car on a flooded residential street in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Wattie


Toronto, Canada – Torrential rains lashed parts of central and eastern Canada on Friday, causing flooding, flight delays and traffic disruptions, and the prime minister said the federal government was ready to provide help if necessary.

The provinces of Ontario and Quebec have been dealing with the fallout of heavy spring rainfall this week, and local authorities advised the residents of some communities to evacuate their homes.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was in regular contact with provincial authorities.

About 200 outbound and inbound flights at the city’s Pearson International Airport, the country’s biggest, were canceled as of midday, according to the airport website.

Heavy, wind-driven rain also soaked the New York City area on Friday afternoon, causing local flooding and an array of transportation delays across the heavily populated region.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for much of New York City and several suburban counties as a weather system that stretched across much of the Eastern Seaboard dumped three inches of rain on the metropolitan region.

The rain forced the closure of Manhattan’s West Side Highway and caused extensive traffic delays.

Many flights in and out of New York airports experienced long delays and there were many cancellations.