Heavy Rains Set Off Flash Flooding in Wide Sections of New York

A slow-moving storm system brought heavy rain across a wide section of New York State on Sunday evening, flooding streets and prompting rescues for drivers whose vehicles were stranded on inundated roads, the authorities said.

Two areas appeared to be most affected, according to the National Weather Service: Rensselaer County and nearby towns, and farther south in the Hudson Valley, including Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties.

County officials, police departments and other agencies were fielding dozens of emergency calls prompted by the flooding.

In Saratoga County, near the town of Waterford, Routes 4 and 32 were flooded with up to two feet of water, said Andrei Evbuoma, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Albany.

Portions of nearby roads in the area were impassible, he added, complicating rescue efforts.

Alan C. Mack, the deputy commissioner of emergency management in Orange County, said on Sunday evening that officials were still trying to get a full assessment of the possible damage and danger.

“We’ve got to the point where we know there are people in trouble, and we can’t get to them because the roads are all blocked,” Mr. Mack said, adding that he did not know how many people were stuck.

A New York City-bound Amtrak train was halted as it approached Poughkeepsie on Sunday evening, with an Amtrak employee saying over a loudspeaker that there had been a “complete washout of both tracks” south of Poughkeepsie, preventing any travel by train.

The train was put in reverse so it could travel back to Rhinecliff, N.Y., where Amtrak officials were determining what to do with passengers onboard.

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs contributed reporting.