New York and New Jersey were under states of emergency on Thursday amid flooding, record rain, and reported tornadoes as the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency as remnants of Ida caused enormous flooding in New York City and other parts of the state on Wednesday.
“I am declaring a state of emergency to help New Yorkers affected by tonight’s storm,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Twitter.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio described the flooding and weather on Wednesday night as a “historic weather event”. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency in New York City for the first time.
At least one person was killed as the flooding inundated the New Jersey city of Passaic, Mayor Hector Lora told CNN.
NBC New York reported that one more person had died in New Jersey and seven had died in New York City, including a 2-year-old boy. Local media reported that people had been trapped in their basements as the storm sent water surging through the city.
Following New York’s footsteps, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy had also declared a state of emergency in response to Ida.
“We’re enduring a historic weather event tonight with record-breaking rain across the city, brutal flooding, and dangerous conditions on our roads,” the mayor said, as New York City put in place a travel ban until 5 AM ET (9 GMT) Thursday for all non-emergency vehicles.
A tornado swept through New Jersey’s Gloucester County, damaging multiple homes, according to CNN affiliate WPVI.
All New Jersey Transit rail services apart from the Atlantic City Rail Line were suspended due to the extreme weather, the service said on its website.
Bushwick floods.
Knickerbocker Avenue.
Stay safe! pic.twitter.com/055vYjSgCK— thisbushwicklife (@BushwickLife) September 2, 2021
Social media images showed water gushing over New York City’s subway platforms and trains. Subway service was “extremely limited” due to the flooding, the Metropolitan Transit Authority said.
First responders evacuated people from the subway system, the acting chair, and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Janno Lieber, said in a statement.
New York City metro train is getting flooded by hurricane Ida pic.twitter.com/uNRFbDFn2w
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) September 2, 2021
Source: News Agencies
