Students scrambled for cover for the fourth consecutive day early Thursday as heavy rain and severe thunderstorms plunged the region.

According to the National Weather Service, a total of 1.09 inches of rain fell on Thursday, approaching the record 1.16 inches for the same day, which was set in 1980.

Since March 1, Binghamton received more than 12 inches of rain, which is more than double the normal value for the period.

The unusual weather posed a challenge for Binghamton University students as they struggled with choosing the proper footwear.

“I was wearing my canvas TOMS, and for hurricane weather, that’s not the greatest idea,” said Ruth Jean-Marie, a senior double-majoring in Africana studies and philosophy, politics and law.

Joannie Almonte, a junior majoring in biological anthropology, made sure to wear her rain boots on Thursday, but was disappointed when the day turned out to be sunny.

“It’s frustrating, because one second it’s raining and the next it’s sunny,” she said.

The storm knocked down trees, shut down roads and caused widespread flooding across the region.

According to a report in the Press & Sun-Bulletin, the Southern Tier chapter of the American Red Cross opened two emergency shelters on Thursday to accommodate residents displaced by the flooding.