After a torrent of floodwaters overwhelmed the Ted Williams Tunnel during heavy rains in Massachusetts on Wednesday, state officials responded the next day to concerns about infrastructure safety.

But Boston’s mayor and Massachusetts’ highway chief gave very different opinions on the issue in separate news conferences Thursday.

“It’s a very, very rare event that we have this kind of flooding…I want to assure people that the tunnel systems are safe,” said Jonathan Gulliver, Massachusetts highway administrator for the Department of Transportation. State Transport, speaking to journalists. 2:30 p.m.