On Thursday, the East Coast of the United States was startled by a mounting death toll, raging rivers, and tornado devastation after Hurricane Ida's remnants pounded the region with record-breaking rain, drowning at least 46 people in their houses and automobiles.
The storm killed people from Maryland to Connecticut on Wednesday night and Thursday morning in an area that had been forewarned about possibly catastrophic flash floods but hadn't been much prepared for such a direct hit from 'the no-longer-hurricane'.
According to Governor Phil Murphy, at least 23 people died in New Jersey. Police said, at least 13 individuals were killed in New York City, 11 of them in flooded basement apartments, which are commonly used as affordable housing in one of the country's most expensive real estate markets. Three people were killed in suburban Westchester County.
At least five individuals were killed in Pennsylvania, according to officials, including one who was killed by a fallen tree and another who drowned in his car after assisting his wife to escape. Brian Mohl, a Connecticut state police sergeant, was killed when his vehicle was carried away. In Maryland, another fatality has been recorded.
Sophy Liu said she tried to stop the water from flowing into her first-floor New York City apartment using towels and trash bags, but the flood climbed to her breast in less than a half-hour. She woke her kid from his slumber, dressed him in a life jacket and an inflatable swimming ring, and attempted to leave, but the door was jammed. She summoned two pals, who assisted her in releasing the jar.
According to meteorologists, Ida's wet leftovers combined with a storm front and drenched the Interstate 95 area. Similar weather has occurred in the aftermath of storms in the past, but researchers believe it was worsened by climate change since warmer air holds more rain and urban surroundings prevent water from soaking into the ground.
Since Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center had forewarned the possibility of "severe and life-threatening flash floods" as well as catastrophic flash floods in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions.
Even yet, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged the storm's power surprised them.
The storm poured almost 9 inches (23 cm) of rain in areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, as well as nearly as much on Staten Island in New York City.
President Joe Biden assured residents in the Northeast that government first responders were on the ground to assist with the cleanup.
Nearly 500 automobiles were abandoned on flooded highways in New York, debris bobbed in the streets, and water poured into the city's subway tunnels, which has trapped at least 17 trains and disrupted service throughout the day. Riders in flooded automobiles were seen standing on seats in videos posted on the internet. Everyone was successfully rescued, with police assisting 835 passengers and dozens of others, including a 94-year-old man on a highway.
