Storm Henri: Lightning strikes One World Trade Center as New York records 'wettest hour ever'
A slow motion video of lightning striking the One World Trade Center as Henri approached on Sunday. Video by Ryan Nystrom
Video shows lightning striking the One World Trade Center in New York as Storm Henri is expected to continue to batter parts of the United States with heavy rain.
The slow motion footage, taken by Ryan Nystrom, was taken on Sunday as the storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to the northeastern states of the country.
New York had its wettest day since 2014, with 4.45 inches of rainfall.
It also had its wettest hour ever from 10pm to 11pm. According to the National Weather Service for New York, 1.94 inches of rain fell in that hour at Central Park.
More rainfall, renewed flooding and a chance of a few strong thunderstorms are also possible on Monday, forecasters said.
On Sunday, at least 22 people were killed by floodwaters in Tennessee. Two twin babies were also swept away from their father's arms in the state.
Floods took out roads, phone towers and telephone lines. Some were stranded in their cars and more than 140,000 homes lost power.
Rescue crews are searching shattered homes and debris in the hope of finding some of the dozens missing during the record-breaking rain.
In the New Jersey community of Helmetta, some 200 residents fled for higher ground as their homes were flooded on Sunday.
The town’s mayor, Christopher Slavicek, whose parents were spending the night after fleeing their home, said: "It came so quick — in the blink of an eye.
"Now there’s clean up. So this is far from over.”
Henri produced three to six inches of rainfall over many areas on Sunday. The storm, now a tropical depression, is expected to dump another one to three inches of rain, as its centre moves through Massachusetts.
“The ground is so saturated that it can flood with just another inch of rain,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont warned late on Sunday.
Flood warnings are in place on Monday morning for the north of New Jersey and southeastern New York state. Flood watches are also in place for southeastern Pennsylvania, parts of Vermont and New Hampshire and New York City.
The storm is expected to slow down and stall near the Connecticut-New York state line, before moving back east, according to the National Hurricane Center.
President Joe Biden has declared disasters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
He said: “We’re doing everything we can now to help those states prepare, respond and recover."
He also offered condolences on Sunday to residents in Tennessee who have lost loved ones.