Bits of sperm whale litter NYC's Rockaways after storm surge as 1.5M without power on Christmas Eve

Residents in one New York area are quite literally having a whale of a time this Christmas after chunks of sperm whale washed up on their streets during Storm Elliott.

Several decaying parts of a whale were strewn across The Rockaways in Queens on Friday after torrential rain and tide surges caused flooding in low-lying areas.

The weather was brought by the storm which has battered much of the country with heavy snowfall, hurricane-strength winds and freezing temperatures. Nearly 2 million homes across the country were without power on Christmas Eve morning.

Locals speculated the grim whale detritus could be the remains of a baby sperm whale that washed up and died in the area last week.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society had cut the creature into chunks during a necropsy before it was buried under the water line.

Residents in The Rockaways, New York, discovered chunks of whale on the sidewalks after the flooding brought by Storm Elliott, which swept over the States just days before Christmas

Locals speculated the grim detritus was from a sperm whale which washed up and died about a week earlier

Locals speculated the whale chunks were from a sperm whale which washed up on Rockaway beach on December 13, 2022 in the Queens borough of New York City

Major residential area is seen flooded during the winter storm in Howard Beach, Queens, New York, United States on December 23, 2022

Coastal areas of New York were flooded as Storm Elliott battered most of the United States

It's thought the extreme weather was enough to disturb the remains and carry them onto land during the floods.

Rockaway Times reporter Katie McFadden tweeted images of the whale waste and said: 'In one of those “Only in Rockaway” scenarios, it appears parts of the sperm whale that was necropsied last week, is now on Rockaway Beach Blvd and Beach 116th Street. Can’t make this up.'

Flooding has caused misery along the west coast after the 'bomb' cyclone swept across the U.S.

There was major tidal flooding in areas along the New York coast and scores of families were forced to evacuate their homes just two days before Christmas. 

Videos illustrate the impact of rising tides that left some vehicles underwater and flooded townhomes in the Rockaways and other regions of South Queens.

First responder police and fire department workers were on the scene assisting trapped residents and carrying children over their shoulders out of harm's way.

Dozens of cars were stranded during the high tide event in Howard Beach, Queens and on parts of Long Island - though no injuries have so far been reported.

Parts of major New York and New Jersey highways were closed due to flooding and downed trees. The closures coincide with a commercial vehicle ban that's been in effect for parts of both states. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm's arrival.

Major flooding in areas of Queens led to scores of evacuations as the brutal winter storm hit parts of New York and the coast on Thursday night

In other developments:

• America could experience its coldest Christmas ever with record low temperatures forecast in several states
• The conditions turned roads into death traps, with several fatal pile-ups in the worst-hit states
• Thousands of flights were cancelled due to the weather, which has left many Americans unable to see their families

In Rockaway, video footage shows neighbors being rescued out of their ground floor windows and moved to higher ground as water reached waist level and submerged cars.

Others were seen carrying duffels as they make a last minute dash from their homes. 

Emergency vehicles can be seen making their way through several inches of flooding in Howard Beach and in neighboring New Jersey, as trains were delayed up to 30-minutes out of the Hoboken Terminal due to high water conditions.

Massive coastal flooding has also hit areas of Maine and Massachusetts as the deadly storm arrived on the east coast Thursday night. 

Emergency New York workers seen assisting trapped residents as they contended with major flooding on Friday morning

Waters reaching up a few feet plagued parts of Rockaway and Howard Beach as residents were forced to evacuate their homes days before the holiday weekend

Emergency vehicles made their way Thursday morning to Rockaway and Howard Beach, where residents were unexpectedly hit by a flood ahead of the holiday weekend

Intense waves crash over a sea wall in Winthrop, Massachusetts as the brutal winter storm bears down on the coast days before Christmas

Vehicles attempt to make their way through many inches of flooding on the streets of Portland, Maine by the waterfront

The winter storm has caused significant travel delays for travelers across the US ahead of the holiday weekend

New York first responders made their way through many inches of water Friday morning to assist those in need in Rockaway and Howard Beach

Some were forced to make last minute dashes out of their homes as water levels rose

In addition to the intense flooding, the storm also brought with it a dramatic cold front.

In other parts of the country, the storm has already proven itself to be a fatal threat, with traffic deaths out of Kansas, Oklahoma and Oregon being reported earlier this week.

Strong winds of up to 35 miles per hour are also expected to accompany the already frightening weather, creating potentially life-threatening temperatures and wind chill of minus 30 degrees. 

On Friday alone, around 10,000 US flights were delayed and over 3,000 have been canceled.