At least 50 homes in Queens, N.Y., burned after Hurricane Sandy sent floodwaters gushing into New York’s five boroughs. The colossal storm submerged cars, tunnels and the subway system, and darkened vast swaths of the city, Bloomberg reported.

Sandy, which weakened as it passed over the coast, shaped up to be among the worst storms in New York history, rivaling the blizzards of 1888 and 1947. Two deaths were reported in Queens and more than 684,000 people were without power in the region, according to Consolidated Edison Inc. 

After the storm’s tide crested about 8 p.m. Monday, the East River topped its seawall in the Financial District and flowed up Wall Street in a torrent that turned avenues into canals and intersections into lakes.

The hurricane grounded more than 10,000 flights across the Northeast and the globe, and it could be days before some passengers can get where they’re going, Fox News reported.

According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware, more than 13,500 flights had been canceled for Monday and Tuesday, almost all related to the storm. By early Tuesday morning, more than 500 flights scheduled for Wednesday had also been canceled. 

Major carriers such as American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines cancelled all flights into and out of three area airports in New York, the nation’s busiest airspace.

The hurricane’s effect on flights in and out of Des Moines International Airport has been minimal, said Executive Director Don Smithey. Flights to and from Washington, D.C., and Newark have been canceled today.