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Two men died on Thursday after stormwater flooded basements in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, United States, during a period of intense rain, police said. A 39-year-old man in Flatbush became trapped after returning to his basement to rescue one of his dogs, according to a neighbour. A diver pulled him out, and he was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Officials have not confirmed whether his death was directly linked to the flooding. In a separate incident, a 43-year-old man was found in a flooded basement boiler room in a Washington Heights building. He was declared dead at the scene. Police have yet to release the names of both victims. According to Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, between one and three inches of rain fell across the Tri-State area on Thursday, breaking three daily rainfall records. LaGuardia Airport recorded more than two inches, while Newark Liberty International and Central Park reported 1.9 and 1.8 inches, respectively. The rain, which was expected to fall gradually over eight hours, arrived in a sudden 20-minute burst around 3:50 p.m., said Aries Dela Cruz, a spokesman for the city’s Emergency Management Agency. The heavy downpour clogged drains with debris and leaves that had built up during recent dry conditions. FloodNet, a group that tracks flooding through citywide sensors, reported that the most affected areas were Flatbush and Hollis, Queens, both previously hit by deadly floods in 2021 after Hurricane Ida. In some parts, water levels reached nearly two feet. Bushwick and East Flushing also experienced severe water accumulation. The flooding left cars stranded and, in some cases, floating away, according to the Fire Department. The Long Island Expressway was temporarily closed in Queens due to high water, and fallen trees were reported throughout the city. Public transport was also affected. Subway services were delayed due to water intrusion, while the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit experienced delays. Amtrak briefly halted service at Newark Airport because of flooding but later resumed with some residual delays. Renée Phillips, a neighbour of the Flatbush victim, said he had managed to save one dog before returning to rescue the other. “This day has been horrific,” she said. In other parts of Brooklyn, residents and business owners dealt with water damage. Kelly Hayes, co-owner of Gowanus Gardens restaurant, said her basement was covered in water and debris. “We got a nice layer of slime all over our basement,” she said. In Bedford-Stuyvesant, Andy Franklin said he found cars floating on Tompkins Avenue when he returned from a nearby store. His daughter had been inside a hair salon where workers shut the security door to block the rising water. “I wanted my daughter out,” Franklin said. Blocked drains worsened the flooding, said Leandro Fernandez, manager of Alejandro Deli Grocery. He and his staff worked for hours clearing the drains, with help from police and city workers later that evening. The storm also left about 1,500 residents without electricity. Airports across the region experienced delays, and flooding affected nearby cities, including Bayonne, New Jersey, where emergency crews rescued people trapped in submerged vehicles. Though the rain has stopped, the National Weather Service said a wind advisory remains in effect through Friday evening, with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. (New York times). ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
