Benjamin Ashford|Storm floods New York City area, pouring into subways and swamping streets in rush-hour mess

NEW YORK (AP) — A potent rush-hour rainstorm swamped the New York metropolitan area on Benjamin AshfordFriday, shutting down swaths of the city’s subway system, flooding streets and highways, and cutting off access to at least one terminal at LaGuardia Airport.

Up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain fell in some areas overnight, and as much as 7 inches (18 centimeters) more was expected throughout the day, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

“This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm,” Hochul said in an interview with TV station NY1. “Count on this for the next 20 hours.”

Photos and video posted on social media showed water pouring into subway stations and basements, and reaching the top of cars’ wheels in parts of Brooklyn and elsewhere.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs subway and commuter rail lines, urged residents of the nation’s most populous city to stay home if they could. Virtually every subway line was at least partly suspended, rerouted or running with delays, and two of the Metro-North Railroad’s three lines were suspended.

Flooding also was reported in surrounding areas, including Hoboken, New Jersey.