NYCHA employee killed by falling tree in Brooklyn as nor'easter impacts region
A NYCHA employee was killed when a tree fell on him in Brooklyn on Saturday.
It happened near a NYCHA complex on Euclid Avenue near Linden Boulevard in East New York. Police say the downed tree hit the 56-year-old man around 3:30 p.m. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
NYCHA confirmed the victim worked for the Housing Authority.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and the NYCHA community," NYCHA said in a statement, in part.
In a post on X, Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote, "Tonight, we are mourning the loss of one of our own after NYCHA employee, Leighton Brown, died while at Cypress Hills Houses in Brooklyn. My thoughts are with his entire family as they deal with this unimaginable loss. May he rest in peace, and may his service to our city never be forgotten."
"I am heartbroken to learn of the devastating loss of a NYCHA employee to this storm," New York Attorney Letitia James posted on social media. "I am praying for their family and loved ones, and I urge all New Yorkers to stay indoors and stay safe."
Tenants say the victim was a beloved maintenance supervisor.
"He was a person that would come in without question and do his job, and he did his job very well," tenant Kevin Duran said.
Also in Brooklyn, fire officials say four people suffered minor injuries when a tree came down on a playground at East 14th Street and Avenue S around 5:30 p.m.
In Queens, a home on 88th Street in Glendale was evacuated as a precaution after a large tree branch fell onto power lines and damaged part of a fence.
"We've already called the city, like, three or four times to cut down this tree because this is a street where all the kids go up and down all day. There's P.S. 113 right there," one man said. "It took down, like, power cables and internet cables, everything.
"We were lucky because nobody was passing through the sidewalk. Nobody got hurt," another man said.
These incidents happened as a nor'easter moves toward the Tri-State Area, bringing strong winds and rain to the region.
The New York City Parks Department said by 11 p.m. Saturday, they had received 400 reports of downed trees. Parks officials noted many of those reports may be duplicates, so the actual number of downed trees across the city may be lower.
Parks inspectors and crews are working 12-hour shifts throughout the weekend to address storm damage, officials say.
