Parts of suburban New York were submerged under a foot of water Wednesday after experiencing record-setting rainfall in a matter of hours.

Heavy rainstorms caused flooding in the streets of New York, trapping motorists and leading to at least one deadly crash.

During a news conference outside North Babylon firehouse, Suffolk County executive Steve Bellone said another "historic extreme weather event" is happening.

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The firehouse served as a temporary sanctuary for dozens of stranded drivers who were seeking shelter during the peak of the storm.

The National Weather Service said over 13 inches of water flooded the MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma within a couple of hours.

It was a "summer's worth of rain," according to the NWS. The amount of rainfall was more than what the area experienced in June, July, and August combined, which only totaled about 11.75 inches.

NWS meteorologist Joe Pollina said starting between 5 to 6 a.m. on Wednesday, there was already about five inches of rain.

During Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, the average recorded rainfall in Tannersville within a day was only 11.6 inches.

In a statement released by Suffolk County Police chief James Burke, the calamity left at least one person dead during the height of the storm when an SUV collided with a tractor-trailer on the Long Island Expressway.

The driver of the SUV was the one who died, according to Burke. The police chief added that the body was not instantly identified because it was burned and was unrecognizable.

Firefighter Lt. Timothy Harrington, who was one of the first to respond to the flooding, said there were a couple of motorists who were climbing out of their car windows because the doors were already stuck due to the rising water.

Harrington recounted that some cars were already completely submerged in water. "I've never seen anything like this before," the lieutenant said.

Police reports confirmed that No one was injured among the stranded motorists. 

TagsNew York rain, New York flood, record New York rain