At some point during the night, the water had risen enough to flood the ground floor, reaching Aditya’s parked SUV. The sudden contact of water with the electronics triggered the alarm, and the shrill wail pierced through the storm. Aditya had hoped it would die out on its own, but it didn’t.
It wasn’t just his car. Throughout the neighborhood, other alarms began blaring as the water seeped into vehicles parked in the street. One by one, the high-pitched sounds echoed through the air, competing with the wind and rain. The constant, ear-splitting noise added to the chaos, making sleep impossible.