Storm kills 2, cripples N.Y. area roads, rails, airports;

WELCOME TO MARCH meteorology madness.

A paralyzing nor’easter wreaked havoc on planes, trains and automobiles Friday and left two people dead during a daylong deluge that crippled Amtrak and local airports.

Close to 2,800 flights were canceled in the Northeast — mostly at the three New York-area airports. America’s railroad was forced to shut down service between Boston and Washington in the early afternoon.

“Major flooding, high winds, and many downed trees have unfortunately caused multiple issues,” the railroad tweeted before closing up shop until Saturday.

“Despite our best effort to restore service, we have determined at this time it is not safe to do so.”

Officials reported two fatalities in the wind-whipped mix of ice, snow and rain: a 42-year-old woman who died in a multicar Brooklyn crash and an 11-yearold Putnam County boy crushed when a tree fell into his house.

Firefighters and cops dug through the debris in a desperate but unsuccessful effort to save the child. Winds up to 60 mph were reported in the area.

In Flatlands, on East 34th Street, between avenues J and K, a heavy tree toppled onto the front steps of a single-family home.

A Queens teen cheated death when a falling tree clipped her in the head on the CUNY York College Campus in Queens. The 18-year-old was hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said.

The storm created chaos across the boroughs and into the suburbs.

“As the saying goes, March is coming in like a lion and we are preparing for heavy snow, rain and flooding across New York this weekend,” said Gov. Cuomo.

NJ Transit riders suffered through hourlong delays all afternoon, while service into the Port Authority Bus Terminal operated with 30-minute delays.

Both Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road were afflicted by service delays.

Two tractor-trailer accidents and the whipping winds forced the temporary closing of the Verrazano Bridge’s upper level.

Once reopened, vans, 18-wheelers, motorcycles and minibuses were banned from the span that connects Staten Island and Brooklyn.

No injuries were reported in the two accidents on the Staten Island-bound lanes.

The rain-sleet-snow combo was expected to rage into the night, with temperatures rebounding into the mid-40s Saturday under cloudy skies.

Reports of trees toppled by the powerful storm included one knocked down on 195th St. in St. Albans, Queens, and a second leveled the fronts of three homes