City issues vacate order after man drowns trying to save pets in East Flatbush basement
Police say the man became trapped when floodwater poured into the basement apartment of a building on Kingston Avenue.
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City inspectors issued a partial vacate order for the cellar of a building in East Flatbush after a 39-year-old man drowned there during Thursday’s record-breaking rainfall.
Police say the man, known by neighbors as Aaron, became trapped when floodwater poured into the basement apartment near Rutland Road and Kingston Avenue. Investigators say he was staying in the unit for some time.
Neighbors tell News 12 that Aaron was attempting to rescue his pets. They say he managed to save one dog and one cat — but went back inside to reach two more animals and never made it out.
“We pleaded with him not to go back in there,” one neighbor said.
Former building owner Oates, who still helps maintain the property, said the basement unit wasn’t regulated but that he had been letting Aaron stay there.
“He didn’t bother anyone,” Oates said. “He was a good guy.”
The Department of Buildings has since issued a partial vacate order for the cellar. Inspectors say the space is now unsafe to occupy.
Residents say flooding on that block is a long-standing problem.
“If you know it’s gonna rain, don’t park your car at that corner,” said neighbor Sylvia Elcock-Als, who’s lived there for years. “We’re the ones clearing out the drains. Something needs to be done.”
City officials confirmed this was one of at least two storm-related deaths across New York City. In Manhattan, a 43-year-old man was found dead inside a flooded boiler room.
Mayor Eric Adams called both deaths “tragedies,” posting on X that crews are continuing to respond to flooding and damage reports across the city.
Thursday’s storm brought nearly two inches of rain to Central Park — breaking a record that had stood since 1917 — and caused major street flooding in parts of Brooklyn, including East Flatbush, Greenpoint, and Sheepshead Bay.
City leaders are urging residents to call 311 to report flooding or property damage.
HPD is in the process of issuing a vacate order for the entire building due to building-wide lack of electricity, gas as well as heat and hot water.
News 12 Reporter Edric Robinson's Friday afternoon on the flooding death in East Flatbush
