NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — Two men were found dead in basement apartments after heavy downpours brought flash flooding to New York City on Thursday, according to emergency response teams.
A 39-year-old Brooklyn resident was pronounced dead after he was trapped in his flooded basement apartment at 564 Kingston Ave. in East Flatbush, police said. In Washington Heights, a 43-year-old man also died after he was found passed out in the flooded boiler room of 701 West 175th St, authorities told PIX11.
Streets and roads were flooded throughout New York City, some impassible, after a storm system dumped more than 2 inches of rain on the five boroughs, according to the National Weather Service.
Rainfall totals broke a 108-year-old record at Central Park on Thursday, while wind gusts toppled trees, causing power outages and damaging vehicles in multiple neighborhoods.
Forecasters from NWS issued flash flood warnings for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, with poorly-drained and low-lying areas being most at risk.
New York City officials have previously said that the city’s sewage system was only built to handle 1.75 inches of rain per hour.
