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A Brooklyn photographer cleared a clogged area of the Long Island Expressway (LIE) in New York using a traffic cone when lanes were closed due to flooding.
Parts of the city were flooded due to a heavy storm on Monday evening, with roads and some subway stations affected. A flooded area of the LIE left drivers at a standstill.
Daphne Youree unclogged several sewer grates when she was stuck in traffic with her son and cat on Monday evening.
In response to a warning from the Emergency Management Department of severe flooding in Queens, Youree responded, “guess what. I cleared it!"
“There was a huge storm with heavy rain – really bad conditions. When we got to exit 25 on the Long Island Expressway I noticed a huge amount of water up ahead. I saw cars attempting to go through. I also saw a car pulled over to the side," Youree told PA.
“I decided as I am curious and not one to sit and wait around that I would assess the situation and see if I could get some answers. I walked up to some guys who were trying to figure out if we could drive through on one side. They said that someone with sandals should go through. People don't want to ruin their fancy shoes. My Crocs sandals took a beating but saved my feet!"
“I walked through the highway lake and it was mostly above my knees. Not passable. Then someone said it looks like the drain is clogged. So I found a nearby cone and started digging," Youree said.
“There were many people around filming and watching – all very happy that someone took charge… Then eventually some guys helped; we moved to the second grate and then we did the third. So me and two guys basically cleared the highway!"
Youree then shared footage of the flood to Twitter, where New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson thanked her for her efforts.
“Thanks Daphne for being a Good Samaritan and great New Yorker," he tweeted on Tuesday.
“It's always been my way to jump right in and get my hands dirty without even thinking about it. I'm shocked this has received so much attention, but happy that it's positive," she said. “Everyone cheered when I finished and the water rapidly disappeared! The cars moved and we all got home, which is all I wanted for my kid and cat."