LADIES FROM MIDTOWN, KENDALL GREEN, FOX FIVE NEWS. >> VERY WELL. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. KENDALL AND HIS WORD OF THE TUNNEL CLOSURE GOT OUT EARLIER. PEOPLE WERE ENCOURAGED TO AVOID THE AREA AND USE MASS TRANSIT. >> BUT THE WARNINGS WEREN'T ENOUGH TO KEEP A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM GETTING TRAPPED IN GRIDLOCK FOR HOURS. LINDA SCHMIDT PICKS UP THAT PART OF OUR COVERAGE FROM LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS. HEY, LINDA. >> HEY, GOOD EVENING TO BOTH OF YOU. IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE MESS OUT HERE TODAY, YOU KNOW, AND I SAID THIS EARLIER TONIGHT, IN THE BEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES, TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE MIDTOWN TUNNEL COMING FROM QUEENS INTO THE CITY EVERY DAY DURING THE EVENING AND THE MORNING COMMUTE. IT IS USUALLY A TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE. TODAY OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS SO MUCH WORSE THAT GRIDLOCK WAS BACKED UP FOR MILES. >> VERY HECTIC AND CRAZY ALL DAY LONG. SAME THING. >> HOURS. HOW MANY HOURS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? >> HOUR AND A HALF SO FAR. TRYING TO GET TO MANHATTAN. >> IT'S BAD. MY ETA IS AN HOUR LATER THAN WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, SO I'M SET BACK BIG TIME. >> THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS TRYING TO GET INTO MANHATTAN FROM QUEENS WERE CONFRONTED WITH DELAYS LASTING HOURS. >> BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, COMING FROM QUEENS, LIKE TWO HOURS, LIKE TWO HOURS. >> PLUS JUST AN HOUR AND SOMETHING WITH A CRYING BABY. >> GOT TO DO WHAT I GOT TO DO. I GOT TO BE IN MANHATTAN. >> THE QUEENS MIDTOWN TUNNEL WAS SHUT DOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER WATER STARTED LEAKING INTO THE SOUTH TUBE. DRIVERS HAD TO TURN ON THEIR WINDSHIELD WIPERS. >> OH, GREAT. SO WE'RE GOING SWIMMING. >> WHAT IF WE GET STUCK THERE? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? >> THE SHUTDOWN CAUSED MAJOR GRIDLOCK IN BOTH QUEENS AND MANHATTAN. >> I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF. IT WAS QUITE A LITTLE NIGHTMARE BECAUSE IT KEEPS ME FROM MY FURTHER APPOINTMENTS. >> BUT THANKFULLY, BY 6:00, BOTH TUNNELS REOPENED, SO WE'RE GOOD. >> I'M GONNA GET HOME. >> AND EVERYBODY EVENTUALLY GOT HOME. WE ARE BACK HERE NOW FOR YOU. LIVE OUTSIDE THE MIDTOWN TUNNEL ON THE QUEEN SIDE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, TRAFFIC IS FLOWING JUST FINE IN BOTH TUNNELS, IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THANK GOODNESS. BACK INSIDE TO YOU. >> WELL, SAID LINDA. ALL RIGHT. AND IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT ANY RESIDUAL DELAYS FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE, ESPECIALLY WI