As Storm Ida caused havoc on the northeast United States, New Yorkers were flooded by heavy rain and flash floods early Thursday, triggering airline cancellations and state of emergency declarations.
Ida smashed through Louisiana's southern state over the weekend, delivering devastating flooding and tornadoes as it made its way north. Governor Kathy Hochul of New York issued a state of emergency after the storm's remnants caused severe flooding in the country's financial and cultural center, particularly in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
“We're in the midst of a historic weather event tonight, with record-breaking rainfall across the city, devastating flooding, and hazardous road conditions,” says the mayor "In a tweet, Mayor Bill de Blasio proclaimed a state of emergency in the city.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled at adjacent LaGuardia and JFK airports, as well as at Newark, where video showed a terminal flooded.
Flooding has shut down major roads in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, among other boroughs.
The city's streets were turned into rivers, and the city's subway stations were flooded, effectively shutting down services, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Authorities warned locals not to travel on flooded roadways as footage showed automobiles submerged on streets across the city. “You don't know how deep the water is, and it's too dangerous,” says the narrator "In a tweet, the National Weather Service (NWS) in New York noted.
In just one hour, the NWS recorded 3.15 inches (80 millimeters) of rain in Central Park, making it the wettest hour on record for the area. Residents were advised to flee to higher ground after the city issued a rare flash flood emergency alert.
“Significant and life-threatening flash flooding is expected from the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England,” says the National Weather Service "According to the NWS, three to eight inches of rain could fall on the region between now and Thursday.
In neighboring New Jersey, state governor Phil Murphy issued a state of emergency after at least one person was killed by flooding in the city of Passaic, bringing the total death toll from Ida to eight.
A tornado ripped through trees and destroyed electrical poles in Annapolis, Maryland, some 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the US capital.
The threat of an ongoing Tornado
Tornado watches are in force for sections of southern Connecticut, northern New Jersey, and southern New York, according to the National Weather Service.
“There is extremely severe and perhaps fatal flash flooding in Somerset County, as well as other parts of the region,” says the National Weather Service "Late Wednesday, the NWS account for the Philadelphia metropolitan area tweeted a video of a car stranded in churning water.
Ida is anticipated to keep moving north, bringing heavy rain to New England on Thursday. The region was also battered by a rare tropical storm in late August.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Louisiana on Friday, where Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on structures and knocked out electricity to over a million people.
Hurricanes are prevalent in the southern United States, but scientists have cautioned that as the ocean surface warms due to climate change, storm activity will increase, posing a greater hazard to coastal populations around the world.
