At least 26 dead in Northeast flooding
Downpours turn New York City’s streets into rivers
YORK – The death toll from the remnants of Hurricane Ida’s stunning blast through the Northeast rose to at least 26 on Thursday after a wide swath of the region became overwhelmed by fierce downpours and localized flooding.
At least 12 people died in the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Ten deaths were reported in New Jersey, three in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland.
The downpours turned New York City’s streets into rivers and swamped basements and first-floor apartments. The National Weather Service office in New York declared a flash-flooding emergency, a rare warning for situations where the flooding is “leading to a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that a travel advisory remained in effect, and that all non-emergency 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.’
The carnage comes days after Ida barreled ashore Sunday in Louisiana packing 150 mph winds. At least six deaths had been reported earlier, including two each in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Power remained out to almost 1 million Louisiana power customers Thursday.
The good news is that Ida has run its course. The center of the storm was more than 100 miles east of Massachusetts on Thursday and moving northeast, Accuweather Senior Meteorologist John Feerick said.
“As far as the United States goes, it’s gone,” Feerick said. “We were certainly expecting a lot of rain, but look at how quickly it came down, especially in cities like New York. Three, four inches in an hour, that overwhelmed the infrastructure.”
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. Hurrinew cane Ida didn’t care if you were a Democrat or a Republican.”
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.
New York police responded to numerous 911 calls, but the department did not have an initial tally of how many water rescues took place as of Thursday afternoon.
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.
In New Jersey, four people were found dead in an apartment complex after more than 6 inches of rain drenched Elizabeth, city officials said. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said one person died there in a submerged car. Passaic officials also said they fear a woman and her child were swept away by the flooding.