Newsman: The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped flooding rain, spawned tornadoes across the Northeast that caused dozens of deaths in areas where the storm landed. So far in the Northeast, at least 46 deaths have been attributed to the storm. Overall, there have been at least 59 deaths across eight states related to Ida according to the state and local officials. One flooding victim was just 2 years old and 16 deaths in New York, the New York Police Department said.
The National Weather Service office in New York declared a flash flood emergency, a rare warning for situations where the flooding is “leading to a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage.”
In New York City, the downpours turned streets into rivers and swamped basement and first-floor apartments. Subway services are suspended.
President Joe Biden addressed the nation Thursday, promising full federal cooperation with cleanup efforts and urging insurance companies not to use technicalities to limit payouts.
“My message to everyone who is affected – we’re all in this together,” Biden said. “This isn’t about politics. Hurricane Ida didn’t care if you were a Democrat or a Republican.”
Late Thursday, Biden approved an emergency declaration in New York that will allow more federal help for the state.
“We saw a horrifying storm last night, unlike anything we’ve seen before,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference Thursday morning. ‘It is a wake-up call for us ‘Mayor Bill de Blazio added.
Most of the New Yok city’s fatalities were in Queens.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed the 23 deaths in his state in a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The death toll from the remnants of Hurricane Ida’s blast through the Northeast rose Thursday after fierce downpours and flooding, claiming four times as many lives as the storm’s initial landfall.
The National Weather Service recorded 3.15 inches of rain in New York’s Central Park in one hour late Wednesday far surpassing the record 1.94 inches that fell in one hour during Tropical Storm Henri less than two weeks ago. The region underwater, Amtrak suspended train service between Washington and Boston for departures scheduled before noon Thursday. Hundreds of flights and trains were canceled Thursday morning, and the Federal Aviation Administration advised travelers to be aware of the evolving situation.
“Flooding continues to affect parts of the Northeast and New England today. Remember to check with your airline for your flight status before leaving home. Do not drive through flooded roadways,” the FAA said on Twitter.
The carnage comes days after Hurricane Ida barreled ashore Sunday in Louisiana packing 150 mph winds. At least 9 deaths due to flooding and carbon monoxide poisoning have been reported Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in a news conference Thursday afternoon informed that the majority of the deaths were people who got caught in their vehicles by flooding and were overtaken by the water, he said.
“Please keep each and everyone of them and their families in your prayers, and let’s hope that that number doesn’t go up,” Murphy said. He added: “Please stay off the roads. We’re not out of this yet.”
Standing beside the governor, U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski told Americans the disaster should be a “wake-up call.”
“Anybody who believes that it’s too expensive to stop climate change … has got to wake up to the fact that we cannot afford not to,” Malinowski said.
New York’s FDR Drive, a major artery on the east side of Manhattan, and the Bronx River Parkway were underwater late Wednesday. Videos shared on social media showed the Brooklyn Queens Expressway impassible, cars stuck in streets in Elmhurst, Queens and water racing into subway stations in Manhattan.
MayorDe Blasio said Thursday that a travel advisory remained in effect, and that all nonemergency vehicles were advised to stay off of city streets while cleanup continued.
“Our hearts ache for the lives lost in last night’s storm,” de Blasio tweeted. “They were our fellow New Yorkers and to their families, your city will be there for you in the days ahead.”
New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea said at least eight deaths took place in residential homes in basements.
NYC subway status in flux
New York issued a citywide travel ban just before 1 a.m. ET Thursday until 5 a.m.
“All non-emergency vehicles must be off NYC streets and highways,” the city said.
Air travel was also halted, with New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports reporting temporary flight disruptions.
Every subway line in the city was suspended, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, due to so many flooded stations. De Blasio told ABC station WABC that people were being evacuated from subway cars stuck underground.
During the flooding, 835 subway passengers were rescued, the NYPD said Thursday.
There were also 69 water rescues, including 18 at the U.S. Open in Queens, police said. The U.S. Open had to pause one tennis match as the court was flooded Wednesday night — despite there being a roof — due to rain coming in the side of the stadium.
Nearly 500 cars were abandoned, police said.
Although the rain had ended overnight, 21 areas of the New York City subway system still had some flooding as of 6 a.m., acting MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told NY1. Pumping was continuing, and subway service should increase, but Lieber declined to predict when the system would return to full service.
“Service across our system is extremely limited as we work to recover from last night’s heavy rainfall and flooding,” MTA said in a 9:31 a.m. notice on its website. “Arrivals and travel times in our apps and websites may not be accurate. Please avoid all unnecessary travel at this time.”
The governor declared a state of emergency Wednesday within 14 counties “in response to major flooding due to Tropical Depression Ida,” she said in a statement, while encouraging New Yorkers to “please pay attention to local weather reports, stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel during this time.”
By Thursday morning, “Metro-North, LIRR and the New York City subway system are not fully functioning,” Hochul said.
Many New York communities are now grappling with water-logged apartments.
Rainfall in New York City makes history
The rain fell particularly hard and fast Wednesday evening in New York City: between 6 and 10 inches over the course of several hours.
A record 3.15 inches of rain fell in Central Park in one hour, according to the National Weather Service. That amount surpasses the 1.94 inches that fell in one hour last month during Tropical Storm Henri, which was thought then to be the most ever recorded in the park.
Waist-level floodwaters caused significant travel delays throughout the city. Most subway lines had to be shut down, leaving commuters stranded and, in some cases, needing to be rescued by the fire department.
The fast-moving storm quickly became deadly overnight as emergency calls poured in to police.
Also in Queens, police discovered the bodies of a 50-year-old man, a 48-year-old woman and a 2-year-old boy, also at a residence.
New Jersey hit by floods and tornadoes. Multiple tornados also touched down Wednesday in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
New Jersey residents endured flooding in the central and northern parts of the state, while a tornado tore houses apart in Mullica Hill in the south. PowerOutage.us reported more than 73,000 power outages early Thursday.
Newark Liberty International Airport was temporarily evacuated Wednesday evening after floodwaters got into the Terminal B baggage claim and ground-level floors of the airport. All flights in and out of the airport were canceled for a time.
New Jersey Transit also suspended rail service, except for the Atlantic City Line, on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service confirmed at least one tornado seriously damaged homes in Mullica Hill, near Philadelphia. New Jersey’s governor toured the area Thursday morning, promising to help residents recover and remarking on the lack of casualties despite the damage.
Residents in parts of Trenton were urged to evacuate after city officials said the Delaware River posed a serious flooding risk — the first of its kind in 10 years. At least 500 homes were affected.
Capt. Jason Astbury of the Trenton Police Department told those residents they should at least be prepared to be gone for possibly two days until floodwaters are cleared.
Southwestern Connecticut also suffered flooding, and police in Fairfield reported “numerous” vehicles were submerged or stuck, according to Connecticut Public Radio. Many school districts either canceled or delayed classes for Thursday.
“Many Connecticut roads were impassable due to flooding as of Thursday morning, including I-395 Northbound in Waterford,” the station reported. “Both Amtrak and MetroNorth suspended rail service in Connecticut.”
