Video: Floodwaters sweep man off his feet in Queens subway station
QUEENS — A man was thrown to the floor of a Queens subway platform Wednesday night as heavy rain pounded the city.
Video posted to Subway Creatures shows him on the ground, surrounded by dirty water, as a train enters the Court Square-23rd Street station in Long Island City. Additional video obtained by PIX11 shows water pouring down the stairs and from the platform to the tracks.
An MTA spokesman called it "severe and dangerous flooding." The water was in the station because a contractor working nearby on a residential residential development project did not have a proper pumping system in place.
“This was an absolutely unacceptable and avoidable incident caused by a contractor working on a residential development project that could have put lives at risk," the spokesman said. " We have already begun taking steps to make sure the developer and contractor are held accountable and this doesn’t happen again."
No injuries were reported and the trackbed drainage system removed all of the unexpected water.
"We regret that our customers were inconvenienced and put at risk by this contractor’s shocking lapse in best safety practices," the spokesman said.
The contractor will restore proper pumping to the worksite and has agreed to build additional protections, including a dam, a new wall and waterproofing. There will also be more personnel on site during major storm events.
New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called the video "insanely scary and dangerous."