At least nine people were killed in New York and New Jersey yesterday as the remnants of Hurricane Ida moved across the Northeast.
A 2-year-old boy and 86-year-old woman were among the dead in New York City. In Passaic, New Jersey, the body of a man in his 70s was recovered after his vehicle was swept away by flood waters, the city’s mayor Hector Lora told CNN’s Don Lemon.
“Our hearts ache for the lives lost in last night’s storm,” Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote in a Twitter message this morning. “Please keep them and their loved ones in your thoughts today.”
Our hearts ache for the lives lost in last night’s storm. Please keep them and their loved ones in your thoughts today.
They were our fellow New Yorkers and to their families, your city will be their for you in the days ahead.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) September 2, 2021
Ida, which made landfall in New Orleans Sunday as a category four hurricane, dropped torrential rains on the Northeast Wednesday and Thursday, causing power outages and disruptions to transportation.
The National Weather Service is reporting that more than 7 inches of rain were dropped on Central Park, and over 8 inches at Newark International Airport, leading to the temporary suspension of flights.
The storm has also caused disruptions to mass transportation. Two transit lines are currently suspended and another 13 partially suspended in the New York City area, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Amtrak has suspended services between Philadelphia and Boston.
New York and New Jersey residents are being asked to avoid non-emergency travel. Mayor de Blasio has declared a state of emergency.
This is north of NYC, Central Park Av in Scarsdale#NYCFlooding #NewJersey #flooding
#NY #NYC #NewYorkCity #Ida #HurricaneIda #NJwx #flashflooding #Emergency #tornadowarnings pic.twitter.com/CUa5RXGyXo— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) September 2, 2021
In the mid-Atlantic region, parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey were under tornado watches and warnings. Funnels were reported to have touched down in Maryland and New Jersey between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. yesterday.
In Philadelphia, numerous roads were submerged after the Schuylkill river flooded its banks.
Ida also sparked hurricane warnings across southeastern New England and Rhode Island as it moved north. Heavy rains flooded area highways and dropped three to four feet of rain on Boston’s busy Storrow Drive.
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