Two men succumbed to their ordeal after being trapped in flooded basements during a torrential downpour on Thursday, leaving officials scrambling to respond. In the early evening hours, emergency services were called to the scene of a submerged basement at 564 Kingston Avenue, where a diver from FDNY Rescue Company 2 braved the treacherous conditions to locate and extract a 39-year-old man who had become trapped in the water.
The victim was rushed to Kings County Hospital in critical condition but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries later that day. The cause of death remains under investigation, with officials citing the rapid flooding as the primary factor contributing to the tragic outcome.
Meanwhile, at another location, police discovered an unconscious and unresponsive 43-year-old man inside a flooded boiler room in the basement of 701 West 175th Street in Manhattan. Despite efforts by emergency responders to revive him, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deaths marked a harrowing conclusion to a night of severe flooding across the city, which left streets and homes inundated with rainwater and caused widespread disruptions during the evening commute. Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged the crisis, stating that emergency crews had been dispatched to the Brooklyn incident.
Adams attributed the severity of the flooding to heavy rainfall that fell in a short period, exacerbated by leaves clogging street drains. "When you look at what happened on one storm cell that largely fell in a 10-minute period, that just overwhelmed the sewer system," he noted. The mayor emphasized the dangers posed by basement and below-grade homes during flash floods, which can become deadly within minutes.
City officials have long warned of these hazards, but Thursday's events serve as a stark reminder of the risks faced by residents during severe weather conditions.
The victim was rushed to Kings County Hospital in critical condition but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries later that day. The cause of death remains under investigation, with officials citing the rapid flooding as the primary factor contributing to the tragic outcome.
Meanwhile, at another location, police discovered an unconscious and unresponsive 43-year-old man inside a flooded boiler room in the basement of 701 West 175th Street in Manhattan. Despite efforts by emergency responders to revive him, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deaths marked a harrowing conclusion to a night of severe flooding across the city, which left streets and homes inundated with rainwater and caused widespread disruptions during the evening commute. Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged the crisis, stating that emergency crews had been dispatched to the Brooklyn incident.
Adams attributed the severity of the flooding to heavy rainfall that fell in a short period, exacerbated by leaves clogging street drains. "When you look at what happened on one storm cell that largely fell in a 10-minute period, that just overwhelmed the sewer system," he noted. The mayor emphasized the dangers posed by basement and below-grade homes during flash floods, which can become deadly within minutes.
City officials have long warned of these hazards, but Thursday's events serve as a stark reminder of the risks faced by residents during severe weather conditions.
flooded basements are super bad news especially when it comes to basement and below-grade homes during flash floods can be deadly within minutes and its crazy that leaves clogging street drains exacerbate the issue city officials have been warning about this for ages but things gotta get serious now 
. Like, how many times do we need to see people trapped and losing their lives because some stupid storm drain clogged up? It's not like the city hasn't warned us about this stuff before... meanwhile, I'm stuck on my couch watching the news and feeling so helpless 
. Can't they just fix these sewer systems already?! And what's with all the basement apartments that are basically just deathtraps waiting to happen? It's just a matter of time before someone else loses their life. So frustrating 
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. Two families lost loved ones due to a freak storm, and it's just heartbreaking 
. But I have to say, I'm amazed by the bravery of that FDNY diver who risked his life to save one guy 
. And I gotta give props to Mayor Adams for being so honest about what went down – no sugarcoating here 
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. But you know what? This is a wake-up call for all of us! We need to be more prepared and take care of our homes, especially those with basement or below-grade spaces 
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. We need to look out for each other, especially during times of crisis 
. Sending love and support to all those affected by last night's flooding 
.