By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — A night of heavy rain caused two of Manhattan's busiest roadways to get shut down and made for a messy morning commute for many New Yorkers on Friday.
Flooding caused the temporary closure of the Henry Hudson Parkway and the FDR Drive at about 6 a.m., NY1 reported.
The FDR Drive was reopened by 7 a.m. and the Henry Hudson Parkway was reopened at 7:10 a.m., according to a Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson. Maintenance crews were called to the scene at the Henry Hudson Parkway to deal with the flooded street, the spokesperson added.
Heavy flooding was also reported on several roadways in New Jersey and Westchester County. The heavy rain storms moved out of the city by 8 a.m.
"Last night was hardcore because my windows kept blowing open," said Cathie Boruch, 35, of Stuyvesant Town, who was walking on Second Avenue in the E. Village Friday morning. "It's like being on a pirate ship."
Commuter trains and most subway lines ran without any major problems, with only delays on the 7 train marring public transit for several hours Friday morning.
Like many New Yorkers, Boruch lamented about the difficluties of catching a cab on the streets of Manhattan on rainy mornings.
"I have to cut things out of my schedule," Boruch said of the added delays caused by bad weather. "You're just slower. It kind of slows you down."
Taxi drivers do a brisk business because of the extra fairs on rainy days, but driving in bad weather is tough work for htem.
"It's a pain, you have to focus more," cabbie J. Sing, 46, lamented on East 12th Street. "It's not easy to work in the rain."
Forecasters are calling for cloudy weather with wind gusts of up to 43 miles per hour for the rest of the day Friday, according to Accuweather. Temperatures are expected to top out at 60 degrees, but it should remain dry.
With a week of rain behind them, New Yorkers can look forward to a sunny weekend with temperatures in the 50s. Perhaps it's a sign of better weather to come.
"It brings May flowers, doesn't it?" Boruch said of the rain. "I'm looking forward to the flowers."
