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2 men die after being trapped in flooded basements during Thursday’s storm
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 30, 2025
Modified Oct 30, 2025
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ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 30, 2025
Modified Oct 30, 2025
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Two men died after being trapped in separate flooded basements during Thursday’s storm, according to officials.
The FDNY said it received a call around 4:25 p.m. about a person trapped in a flooded basement at 564 Kingston Ave. A diver from FDNY Rescue Company 2 entered the basement, searched the area and removed the man from the water, authorities said.
He was taken to Kings County Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, according to the NYPD. The man was identified only as a 39-year-old.
Separately, police said a 43-year-old man was found unconscious and unresponsive inside a flooded boiler room in the basement of 701 West 175th St. in Manhattan. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police were withholding his identity pending family notification.
Investigations were ongoing.
The deaths occurred as torrential rain flooded streets and homes across the city, prompting emergency rescues and disrupting transit during the evening commute.
Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the Brooklyn incident during a live interview on 1010 WINS, saying emergency crews had been dispatched to the scene.
“It was brought to my attention earlier, during a briefing, that we had an incident in Brooklyn where there was a flooded basement that required a level of rescue,” Adams said. “And we're getting an update on the victim at this time.”
The mayor said the flooding was made worse by heavy rain that fell in a short period of time and 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 said. “This was made worse by fall foliage on the ground that clogged our basins.”
City officials have repeatedly warned that basement and below-grade homes can become deadly within minutes during flash floods.
This story has been updated with new information.
Tagged
brooklyn
environment
public safety
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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