NYC floods live At least 28 dead as Storm Ida dumps historic rain and tornadoes rip through northeast

NYC floods: At least 26 dead as Storm Ida dumps ‘historic’ rain

At least 28 people are feared dead after Storm Ida dumped record levels of rain in parts of New York, New Jersey, and across the northeast US, causing widespread flooding.

The governors of New York and New Jersey declared a state of emergency last night as the deluge overwhelmed streets and subway stations.

Nearly all New York City subway lines were suspended late and all non-emergency vehicles were banned from New York City’s streets until Thursday due to the weather, city authorities said on Twitter.

“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”.

Speaking on Thursday, President Joe Biden said: “My message to everyone affected is â€" we’re all in this together. The nation is here to help. That’s the message I’ve been making clear to the mayors, governors, energy and utility leaders in the region who my administration has been working closely with.”

Show latest update 1630618222‘Al Gore gave us a wake-up call 20 years ago, and no one paid attention'

Pennsylvania officials said earlier on Thursday that emergency personnel have conducted thousands of water rescues since the state was hit by Storm Ida, getting people out of their flooded cars and apartment buildings.

Philadelphia fire commissioner Adam Thiel said during a press briefing: “We know that the flooding reached levels that have not been seen in 100 years. And potentially this will be a record-breaking flood.”

Mayor Jim Kenney said: “Extreme weather events like Ida are not isolated incidents. They are another indication of the worsening climate crisis.”

Retired probation officer Frank Feingold, 76, told The New York Times: “Al Gore gave us a wake-up call 20 years ago, and no one paid attention.”

Gustaf Kilander2 September 2021 22:301630617322Storm Ida moves towards New England after devastating areas from Maryland to New York

The remnants of Storm Ida moved on towards New England after devastating areas from Maryland to New York, where it has resulted in dozens of deaths.

Streets and homes in southern New England were flooded on Thursday but didn’t suffer the damaging weather that New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey experienced on Wednesday night and during the early hours of Thursday.

More than nine inches of rain had fallen in New Bedford, Massachusetts as of 11am on Thursday, as well as almost seven inches in Middletown, Connecticut.

Gustaf Kilander2 September 2021 22:151630616847New York slowly recovers from night of historic flooding

Not since Superstorm Sandy ploughed into the New York area almost a decade ago has the city been rocked by such a brutal and deadly storm.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida wreaked a devastating path of destruction across the Northeast on Wednesday night, leaving at least 26 people dead, including a two-year-old boy.

A number of people died after being trapped in submerged basement apartments or in cars swept away in flash floods.

Nathan Place2 September 2021 22:071630616422Images show extent of flooding across Northeast US

Water floods the Vine Street Expressway on September 2, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

(Getty Images)

River water floods the front of a home on West Williams Street Road on September 02, 2021 in Lincoln Park, New Jersey

(Getty Images)

Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy wind and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 02, 2021 in New York City

(Getty Images)

Austin Ferdock drinks a beer while floating in floodwater that continues to rise over the submerged Vine Street Expressway

(Getty Images)

Cars are stranded by high water Thursday, Sept 2, 2021, on the Major Deegan Expressway in Bronx borough of New York as high water left behind by Hurricane Ida still stands on the highway hours later

Gustaf Kilander2 September 2021 22:001630615522Biden puts Cedric Richmond in charge of storm response

President Joe Biden has tapped senior adviser and director of the Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond in charge of the federal government’s recovery efforts following the devastation left by Storm Ida.

Mr Richmond spent ten years in Congress representing Louisiana.

Mr Biden has also given Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm the go-ahead to “use all of the tools at her disposal, including using a strategic petroleum reserve, to keep gas flowing to the pumps”.

The President added that he has requested that the Federal Communications Commission cooperate with cell phone service providers to allow cell phone users to use roaming services regardless of what carrier they use, in order to ensure functional phone services across damaged areas.

“My message to the people in the Gulf Coast ... we are here for you. And we’re making sure the response and recovery is equitable,” Mr Biden said in a speech on Thursday. “So that those hit hardest get the resources they need, and are not left behind.”

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all the first responders, and everyone who has been working through the night, well into the morning to save lives,” he added about emergency personnel working in the Northeast.

Gustaf Kilander2 September 2021 21:451630614622Coast Guard investigating reports of oil spills after Storm Ida

The U.S. Coast Guard says it is investigating reports of possible oil spills resulting from Hurricane Ida after the publication of aerial photos by The Associated Press.

Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer 3rd Class Gabriel Wisdom said Thursday that aircraft were being dispatched to investigate reports of a miles-long slick in the Gulf of Mexico south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana

Wisdom said aircraft would also fly over a major oil refinery along the Mississippi River south of New Orleans after a report of a rainbow-coloured sheen in the floodwaters.

The NOAA photos show a black and brown slick floating near a large rig with the name Enterprise Offshore Drilling painted on its helipad. The company, based in Houston, said Thursday that its Enterprise 205 rig was safely secured and evacuated prior to the storm’s arrival and that it did not suffer any damage.

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AP news wire2 September 2021 21:301630613722NYPD officers rescue woman in wheelchair from apartment and disabled man from basementGustaf Kilander2 September 2021 21:151630612911New Jersey governor believes ‘a lot’ of possible infrastructure funds will be used for storm resiliencyGustaf Kilander2 September 2021 21:011630612261Death toll rises â€" 28 people now dead

At least 28 people have now been killed from Maryland to New York after the remnants of Hurricane Ida devastated the Northeast.

New York police said the victims in the city ranged from a two-year-old boy to an 86-year-old woman.

Gustaf Kilander2 September 2021 20:511630611951Shocking video shows passengers perched on seats as NYC bus fills up with water in Ida floods

Shocking video showed bus passengers standing on seats when the vehicle filled up with flood water as Ida wreaked havoc in New York City.

The bus took on water as it drove through violent flash floods that struck the city on Wednesday night, leaving more than 20 people dead across the region.

Passengers stand on seats as floodwater fills New York bus

The torrential rain and flooding was caused as the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday, passed over the region.

The video was posted on social media by UNICEF press officer Joe English, and showed a large pool of water on the bus and passengers perching on their seats to avoid getting wet,

“Queens Boulevard in Maspeth/Corona is a literal river at the moment. Bus fully flooded driving through, multiple cars stuck in the water. Absolutely insane,” Mr English tweeted.

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Graeme Massie2 September 2021 20:45

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