Storm slams NYC: Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closed, S.I. Railway suspended on South Shore

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A pre-Christmas storm slammed Staten Island with high winds and heavy rains late Sunday night into Monday, forcing the closure of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and suspension of service on the Staten Island Railway system on the South Shore.

Here are the most important things you need to know right now:

• The Verrazzano is closed in both directions due to winds;
• Service is suspended on the Staten Island Railway between Tottenville and Huguenot due to flooding.

Here are live updates:

4:58 A.M. — Outages reported on Staten Island

There are more than 1,700 Con Edison customer being reported without power on Staten Island, according to the utility’s outage map. Large outages are being reported on the North and South shores.

4:20 A.M. — SIR suspended on South Shore

Staten Island Railway service is suspended in both directions between Huguenot and Tottenville due to flooding, officials announced.

4:18 A.M. — VERRAZZANO SHUT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

Due to high winds, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is closed in both directions, the city announced on the Notify NYC alert system.

3:56 A.M. — SOME VEHICLES BANNED ON BAYONNE

Empty tractor-trailers, tandem trailers and motorcycles are banned on the Bayonne Bridge due to wind, the Port Authority announced. A 30 mph speed limit is in effect for all other vehicles.

In addition, the Shared Use Path is closed for pedestrians and bicyclists.

2:58 A.M. — FLOOD ADVISORY CONTINUES

The city posted the following message on its Notify NYC alert system:

“Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall rates between 0.25 and 0.5 per hour are likely to continue for the next several hours.  Heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage areas and low lying spots.”