Flood Advisory Issued for Suffolk County as Storms Delay Flights at New York City Airports

A flood advisory hit Suffolk County on August 20 as slow-moving storms dropped up to an inch of rain, and by August 23 weather delayed flights at LaGuardia, JFK and Long Island MacArthur airports.

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Industry impact

Recurring Northeast summer storm patterns continue to trigger ground stops and rolling delays across New York's major airports, underscoring persistent weather-driven disruption risk for regional air traffic.

A flood advisory was issued for Suffolk County on Thursday evening, August 20, after slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rain to central and western Long Island. The National Weather Service reported minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas, with radar estimates showing between half an inch and one inch of rain already fallen and another one to one-and-a-half inches expected. The advisory covered Islip, Brentwood, Commack, Huntington Station, Centereach, Babylon, Patchogue, and Port Jefferson, with roadways and low-lying spots around Islip, Hauppauge, Ronkonkoma, and Babylon among the most affected.

The storm pattern also disrupted air travel across the New York metropolitan area. By early Sunday, August 23, LaGuardia Airport saw departure and arrival delays of up to approximately 15 minutes from weather-related congestion. John F. Kennedy International Airport was placed under a ground stop program that morning due to thunderstorms, holding inbound flights at their origin airports and causing rolling delays for connections. Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma operated under fluctuating cloud ceilings and visibility.

These events followed a late-July flood watch covering all of New York City along with Nassau and western Suffolk counties, when forecast rainfall totals reached two to three inches with peak rates near two inches per hour. Forecast guidance for the final week of August indicates Long Island is likely to remain in an unsettled pattern, with additional chances for showers or thunderstorms on several days as frontal boundaries linger near the Northeast coast.