Heavy rain overnight caused flash flooding that inundated sections of a half‑marathon course, submerging cars and forcing organisers to halt the race in the New York‑New Jersey‑Connecticut tri‑state area.

Rescues in progress as water levels rise

Emergency services reported dozens of water rescues as runners and motorists found themselves stranded in waist‑deep water. According to the BBC, volunteers and fire crews waded through streets in Westchester County and Fairfield County, pulling people to safety with rope ladders and inflatable boats.

"The water rose faster than anyone expected," a volunteer firefighter told the BBC.

Participants described the sudden surge as "like a wall of water" that turned the race into a scramble for higher ground. In one incident, a runner was pulled from a submerged car in Stamford, Connecticut, after the vehicle floated into the road.

flood‑ridden half‑marathon street with runners wading through water

Authorities mobilise resources

Local police and the New York State Office of Emergency Management activated incident command centres, deploying additional rescue units and advising the public to avoid the affected corridors. The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced road closures on Route 17 and I‑287, while the Connecticut Highway Service urged drivers to seek alternate routes.

Mayor of White Plains, New York, urged residents to stay indoors and monitor weather alerts, noting that the storm system, linked to a slow‑moving low‑pressure front, has dumped more than two inches of rain in some locales within a few hours.

Wider implications and future risk

Experts say the event underscores the growing frequency of urban flash floods as climate patterns shift. Dr Sarah Whitaker of the National Weather Service, cited by the BBC, warned that similar storms could become more common in the Northeast, stressing the need for updated drainage infrastructure.

Organisers of the half‑marathon, the Tri‑State Run Club, confirmed the race would be postponed pending a safety assessment. They also pledged to review emergency protocols to better protect participants in future events.

Residents in the affected counties are expected to receive follow‑up assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will assess property damage and provide aid to those whose homes were flooded.

The storm is forecast to move northward later today, with the National Weather Service issuing a flood watch for parts of upstate New York and western Massachusetts, suggesting that the region may face additional rain‑related hazards in the coming days.