From New York State to Maryland, rain and flooding that hit parts of the Northeastern United States killed at least 26 people overnight from Wednesday to Thursday morning.
The area may have been warned of the risk of catastrophic flash floods, but it was not ready for severe weather. The apartments on the lower floors were flooded and many roads full of cars turned into canals.
At least 12 people have been killed in New York City alone, police say. Eight of them died in basement apartments, where less affluent people usually live. Another died in his car.
At least eight people have been killed in New Jersey, local officials say. In Pasai, the body of a Septuagenarian was found in his car, which was suddenly swept away in the flood.
His family was rescued and they were all in the same car. Unfortunately the car overturned in the water and firefighters who were dragged under the vehicle were unable to get it out.
, Said Pasaik Mayor Hector Lora.
Three more died in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, one by a fallen tree, another by drowning in a car, and another died at home.
In Connecticut, a police officer on duty was additionally taken away in his vehicle and later taken to hospital, state police and local officials said.
While Ida’s remnants lost most of the storm’s wind, they converged in front of a more traditional storm, retaining the center of its rainfall before flooding the 95 interstate corridor.
This has happened with hurricanes in the past, but experts say the situation has worsened slightly due to climate change – hot air traps more rain – and due to the urban environment, extensive covering asphalt barriers prevent water from seeping into the ground.
New York in a state of emergency, record rain
A bus passes abandoned cars on a flooded highway in Queens, New York.
Photo: Reuters / Brendan McDermott
Massive flooding forced New York state interim governor Kathy Hochsul and mayor Bill de Blasio to declare a state of emergency.
The National Hurricane Center has been warning of the danger since Tuesday Large and dangerous flash floods
And moderate to severe river flooding in the Mediterranean and New England. Governor Hochzul recently took over from Andrew Cuomo following his resignation, and Mayor de Blasio admitted that the power of the storm had taken them by surprise.
From 8:50 pm to 9:50 pm last night, we did not realize that the sky was really opening to bring water worthy of Niagara Falls to the streets of New York City.
M. de Blasio, A. who spoke the day before Historical weather event
, Forecast for 7.5 to 15 cm of rain throughout Wednesday.
According to the US Meteorological Service (NWS), Central Park was able to reach 8.9 cm in one hour, a previous record of 4.9 cm in one hour. Tropical Storm HenryThe storm caused more than 23 centimeters of rain in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and Staten Island in New York.
It started raining around 9pm on Wednesday night and the floods affected about 20 million people.
The streets of Brooklyn and Queens were flooded, and as of Thursday morning, only emergency vehicles were allowed into New York City.
The previous evening, water had accumulated on at least 17 subway trains, forcing all subway lines in the city to stop. Pictures showed passengers standing in the seats of cars filled with water.
A woman waits at the entrance to the Rector Street subway station as service is delayed after heavy rains in New York City on September 2, 2021.
Photo: Reuters / Carlos Baria
Other videos uploaded on social media showed vehicles sinking through windows on major highways in New York and neighboring counties. The streets next to Manhattan and the Bronx were also submerged.
For their part, Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports have canceled hundreds of flights.
Earlier on Wednesday, the storm caused at least two hurricanes, causing the roof of a U.S. Postal Service house building in New Jersey to collapse due to strong winds threatening to blow up the Pennsylvania Dam.
At the height of the darkness in one part of the region, at least 220,000 people were left in the dark, mostly in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
High winds and inclement weather extended as far as Massachusetts, where a hurricane warning was issued early Thursday morning.
A hurricane period is over
This is the second storm in a short time. Tropical storm Henry had already hit the region a week ago. Henry caused flooding, and the area was actually saturated with rain, making it very vulnerable to floods this week.
But the hurricane period did not end. The tropical storm truck turned into a hurricane on Thursday morning, strengthening and forming rapidly westward after forming off the coast of Africa earlier Wednesday.
It will intensify and become the 4th type hurricane on the Sapphire-Simpson scale by Sunday.
With information from the Associated Press, Agencies France-Press and Reuters
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