Man dies in flooded New York City basement after he tries to rescue his dog during heavy rainstorm

Chaos ensued in New York on Thursday (October 30, 2025) after rainstorms flooded basements in the city, leaving two dead and shutting down roadways, causing delays at the airport, according to authorities. Police said that a scuba team found the body of a 39-year-old man after firefighters received a call of a person trapped in the flooded basement of a three-story townhouse in Brooklyn at about 4:30 p.m., news agency AP reported.

The man who died in Brooklyn had entered the flooded basement of his building while trying to rescue one of his dogs, a neighbor, Renée Phillips, told The New York Times. A video posted online showed firefighters carrying the victim away through calf-deep water on the street.

Man found dead in Manhattan

In another incident that occurred in Manhattan, a 43-year-old man was found dead inside the flooded basement boiler room of an apartment building, police said, AP reported. The cause of death was under investigation. Authorities didn't immediately release the names of the two men who died.

Parts of NYC witness record rainfall

Some spots around the city saw record rainfall. Preliminary reports showed 1.8 inches (4.57 centimeters) of rain fell in Central Park on Thursday, which would surpass the record of 1.64 inches (4.17 centimeters) set for the park in 1917, the National Weather Service said. LaGuardia Airport recorded 1.97 inches (5 centimeters) of rain, which would break the 1955 record of 1.18 inches (3 centimeters) for that airport.

New York saw hours of rainfall of varying intensity on Thursday, leading into the evening commute. Photos and videos on social media showed water rising to the bumpers of cars and pouring into subway stations.

“When you look at the amount of water that was coming down, our sewer systems are just not built to handle that. It was a steady rain, throughout,” Mayor Eric Adams told radio station 1010 WINS. Street flooding was highly localized, turning some intersections with clogged drains into pools deep enough to float cars, while leaving the next blocks with only modest puddles.