Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, Oct 31: Two people lost their lives in flooded basements after heavy rainfall lashed New York City on Wednesday, October 30, submerging streets and disrupting transport services across the city.
Firefighters rushed to East Flatbush, Brooklyn, after a 911 call reported a man trapped in rising water inside a basement around 4:25 p.m. Divers from the fire department recovered the body of a 39-year-old man, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His identity has not been released, pending family notification.
Just minutes later, at 4:44 p.m., another tragedy struck in Washington Heights, Manhattan, where a 43-year-old man, identified as Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, was found unconscious in a flooded boiler room. Emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene.
The twin deaths occurred while a flash flood warning was in effect for Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and parts of Manhattan, as the National Weather Service (NWS) reported a “quick-moving frontal system” that dumped torrential rain and brought gusty winds.
The NWS recorded 1.8 inches of rain in Central Park, breaking a record set in 1917, while LaGuardia Airport saw 1.97 inches, surpassing its 1955 record. Winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, continued into Thursday, the weather service said.
Authorities urged residents to avoid flooded streets and fallen power lines. Flooding forced the closure of major roads, including parts of the Long Island Expressway and the Belt Parkway, while cars were seen partially submerged in areas such as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Public transport also suffered major setbacks as water flooded subway tracks, leading to widespread delays. Both JFK and LaGuardia airports issued alerts for flight disruptions.
The storm, which followed Hurricane Melissa’s devastation in the Caribbean that claimed over 40 lives, added to the region’s weather woes. City emergency officials said crews were working round the clock to drain waterlogged streets and restore normalcy across New York.