NYC swamped by heavy rain
At least 9 deaths were reported in New York City and New Jersey as relentless rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida sent the NYC into a state of emergency on Thursday.
NEW YORK: The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City, with at least nine deaths linked to flooding in the region, as it swamped subway cars and submerged vehicles and homes.
Catastrophic weather came to the largest city in the US after a grim two weeks across the nation that has seen 20 dead in flooding in a small Tennessee town, wildfires threatening Lake Tahoe, Tropical Storm Henri in the Northeast and Ida’s landfall in Louisiana, which left a million people without power, maybe for weeks.
Late on Wednesday evening a state of emergency was declared in New York City and the rest of the state. Ida’s remnants were exiting the country, but not without tornadoes in other parts of the Northeast.
At least nine deaths were reported in New York City, New Jersey. A New York City police spokesperson says a total of eight people died when they became trapped in flooded basements.
New York’s FDR Drive, a major artery on the east side of Manhattan, and the Bronx river parkway were under water by late on Wednesday. Subway stations and tracks became so flooded that the metropolitan transportation authority suspended all service. Videos posted online showed subway riders standing on seats in cars filled with water.
Other videos showed vehicles submerged up to their windows on major roadways in and around the city and garbage bobbing down the streets.
“We’re enduring a historic weather event tonight with record breaking rain across the city, brutal flooding and dangerous conditions on our roads,” New York mayor Bill de Blasio said while declaring a state of emergency in New York City.
Authorities tweeted that subway service was operating with limited service for the Thursday morning commute. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for New York state.
The weather service recorded 8.91cm of rain in New York’s Central Park in one hour Wednesday night.