With heavy rains and flooding, a deadly tornado ripped through the small town of Moore, Oklahoma. In addition to the tragedy, the floods have caused damage in four states.
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The New York City Area is paralyzed by Ida.
Hurricane Ida’s leftovers caused flash floods and a number of fatalities, as well as disrupting transportation in portions of New York and New Jersey.
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Hurricane Ida’s leftovers caused flash floods and a number of fatalities, as well as disrupting transportation in portions of New York and New Jersey. CreditCredit… The New York Times’ Gregg Vigliotti
National and local officials recognized on Thursday that severe weather events presented an immediate and continuing danger in the wake of a violent storm triggered by the leftovers of Hurricane Ida that killed over three dozen people across four states.
In New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, the storm killed at least 43 people and knocked out electricity to more than 150,000 households. By noon Thursday, states of emergency had been declared throughout the area as authorities attempted to assess the damage.
President Biden, speaking from the White House, said the devastation showed that “extreme storms and the climate problem are here,” calling it “one of the great challenges of our time.”
Governor Kathy C. Hochul of New York said she got a call from Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday morning in Queens, saying he “offered any help” while the state evaluated the damage from Hurricane Ida, which she described as a “new normal.” Mr. Biden signed a declaration of emergency for New York and New Jersey late Thursday, enabling the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief operations.
“We need to anticipate them and be prepared,” she added.
On Wednesday, a torrential downpour dumped more than a foot of rain in just a few hours, turning streets and subway stations into rivers. People were rescued from the roofs of vehicles by emergency personnel in boats. Hundreds of passengers were evacuated from trains and subways as a result of the incident. A tornado ripped across southern New Jersey, destroying a swath of homes. According to a preliminary assessment from the National Weather Service, the tornado that struck Mullica Hill, New Jersey, was an F-3 with estimated speeds of 150 miles per hour. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, several rivers were still rising.
1 September 2021
Ida dumped 3.24 inches of rain in Newark between 8 and 9 p.m., almost an inch more than the previous hourly record set in 2006.
The date was The date was The date was July 21, 2006…
Between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., severe thunderstorms dropped 2.35 inches of rain in one hour.
1 September 2021
Between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., Ida dropped 1.82 inches, making it the seventh-wettest hour of the year.
1 September 2021
Ida dumped 3.24 inches of rain in Newark between 8 and 9 p.m., almost an inch more than the previous hourly record set in 2006.
July 21, 2006
Between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., severe thunderstorms dropped 2.35 inches of rain in one hour.
1 September 2021
Between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., Ida dropped 1.82 inches, making it the seventh-wettest hour of the year.
1 September 2021
Between 8 and 9 p.m., 3.24 inches of rain fell.
July 21, 2006
Between 4 and 5 p.m., 2.35 inches of rain fell.
1 September 2021
Between 9 and 10 p.m., 1.82 inches of rain fell.
The rains shattered records set only 11 days before by Tropical Storm Henri, highlighting climate scientists’ predictions of a new normal on a warming planet: hotter air retains more water, allowing storms to build power faster and develop bigger.
On Thursday evening, several subway lines in New York City were still shut down. Although airports were operating, hundreds of flights were canceled.
The deceased in New York City varied in age from a 2-year-old child to an 86-year-old lady, according to authorities. Some drowned in Queens basement apartments, where a system of improvised and largely illegally converted living quarters has emerged.
New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy revealed on Thursday afternoon that at least 23 individuals have died in the state. Four individuals were discovered dead in an apartment complex in Elizabeth, while two people were murdered in Hillsborough after being stuck in their cars, according to local authorities. Another person died as the Passaic River burst its banks and fish flopped on the streets in Passaic, New Jersey.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont stated that flags would be flown at half-staff in remembrance of Brian Mohl, a state police sergeant whose vehicle was carried away by floods.
On Wednesday, 3.15 inches of rain poured in Central Park in one hour, surpassing the previous record of 1.94 inches set on Aug. 21. In an attempt to convey the severity of the situation, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency in New York City for the first time.
On Thursday, James Tedesco, the county executive and a veteran fireman in Bergen County, New Jersey’s most populated county, said: “We have not total destruction but close to it.” This is the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Anne Barnard, Jonah E. Bromwich, Maria Cramer, Isabella Grullón Paz, Matthew Haag, Jesus Jiménez, Michael Levenson, Eduardo Medina, Andy Newman, Azi Paybarah, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Ali Watkins, and Ashley Wong provided reporting.
On Thursday, Roxanna Florentino examined the damage in the basement of the building where she resides in Brooklyn. Roberto Bravo, her next-door neighbor, perished there on Wednesday night as the floodwaters rose. Credit… The New York Times’ Anna Watts
The torrents of Ida’s waters poured through the basement doors and windows of New York City, converting ordinary places into death traps.
Deborah Torres of Woodside, Queens, claimed she heard three members of a family, including a child, pleading for help from the basement.
Ms. Torres said she heard the family urgently calling out to another neighbor, Choi Sledge, as the water poured into the building about 10 p.m. on Wednesday. Ms. Sledge begged the family to get out of there.
The flow of water, however, became too strong in a matter of seconds, and it also prevented anybody from going below to assist.
Ms. Torres, who lives on the first level, claimed it was impossible. “It felt like I was in a pool.”
The family did not make it out alive.
Darlene Lee, 48, was staying in the basement unit of a condominium’s super in Central Parkway, Queens. Flooding entered the flat via a glass sliding door, rapidly filling it with six feet of murky water.
Ms. Lee was trapped between the apartment’s steel front door and the door frame by the water, unable to escape.
The property manager, Patricia Fuentes, had just gotten off work when she heard Ms. Lee crying for assistance and discovered her trapped. Ms. Fuentes dashed to the lobby to get help, and assistant super Jayson Jordan and handyman Andy Tapia rushed through the shattered glass door to reach Ms. Lee.
They were unable to rescue her, though. Mr. Tapia attempted to hold Ms. Lee above the chin-deep water by pinning her. The guys were eventually able to pull her from the door, but it was too late, according to Mr. Jordan. The storm took Ms. Lee’s life.
Ricardo Garcia was woken by a rush of water that he claimed burst through the door of his shared basement apartment in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, at around 10:15 p.m. It came up to his legs in seconds, then his waist, then his chest.
On Thursday morning, Mr. Garcia, 50, pounded on the door next to his, awakening another roommate, Oliver De La Cruz, who was trembling as he stared at the water stains that stretched to the ceiling of his damaged room.
Ricardo Garcia, who also lives in the basement of the Cypress Hills building, rescued what he could. Credit… The New York Times’ Anna Watts
Mr. De La Cruz, 22, added, “I nearly died within here, I almost died, dude.”
In his boxer shorts, Mr. De La Cruz smashed through his bedroom door to flee. Mr. Garcia said that he and Mr. De La Cruz struggled to get to the first level, despite the water flowing down the stairwell.
Mr. De La Cruz discovered Roxanna Florentino, an 18-year resident of the building, who lives upstairs. She said she heard another guy, 66-year-old Roberto Bravo, screaming for assistance from the basement apartment’s rear bedroom.
Bravo, Roberto Thanks to Pablo Bravo for the tip.
Mr. Bravo was begging for assistance in Spanish, according to Ms. Florentino, and neighbors were attempting to contact him. However, water was dripping from the front entrance and a window. Mr. Bravo’s screams had ceased, she realized.
On Thursday, it was obvious that the water had risen so quickly where Mr. Bravo had been that it had ripped the door off the hinges and shattered the ceiling, leaving a stench of rotting. The Ecuadorean flag on his wall was wet and muddy, and there was trash on the floor below, as well as a water-stained picture of Mr. Bravo in a tuxedo at a formal occasion.
Mr. Bravo is sitting to the right in a tuxedo. Credit… The New York Times’ Anna Watts
At 10:15 p.m., Ms. Florentino made the first of four 911 calls. An hour later, firefighters came. Mr. Bravo’s corpse was carried out.
She attempted to sleep, but every time she dozed off, Mr. Bravo’s voice called out one more time.
She remarked, “It’s really terrible when someone begs for assistance and you can’t help them.”
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Floodwaters flooded towns and highways as Hurricane Ida’s leftovers pounded eastern Pennsylvania. The storm wreaked havoc, flooding a section of one major roadway and trapping residents in apartment complexes. CreditCredit… Associated Press/Matt Rourke
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) – Ron Harper, 87, remained in his flat 14 stories above a slowly flooding Philadelphia on Thursday morning, wondering when he would ever escape.
By late morning, everyone in the building had been ordered to leave, and Mr. Harper found himself going down 14 flights of stairs in the dark, unsure when he’d be able to return. Still, things might be a lot worse.
“I feel terrible about the individuals who have lost their belongings,” he added.
Residents of the Mid-Atlantic States awakened on Thursday to a path of devastation left behind by leftovers of Storm Ida, which had hit Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane only days earlier. Tornadoes struck Maryland and the Philadelphia suburbs, and rain-swollen rivers swamped small communities and were still rising.
Emergency responders in Pennsylvania claimed they had performed thousands of water rescues, rescuing people from apartment buildings and vehicles.
Damage assessment on a flooded roadway in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. Credit: The New York Times/Kriston Jae Bethel
Thousands of residents in the Philadelphia region were without electricity when a section of the Vine Street Expressway, which runs through the heart of the city, was flooded.
Frank Feingold, 76, a retired probation officer and one of around a dozen individuals snapping pictures of the flooded highway where murky water was lapping the road signs, said, “Al Gore gave us a wake-up call 20 years ago and no one paid attention.”
The Schuylkill River had risen to “major” flood level overnight, submerging almost all of the city’s automobiles.
In a press conference, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel remarked, “We are still conducting water rescues throughout the city; we’ve been doing it for the last 15 hours now continuously.” He went on to say, “We know that the floods reached levels that haven’t been witnessed in a hundred years.” “And there’s a chance it’ll be a record-breaking flood.”
Jim Kenney, the mayor of Philadelphia, said the storm was part of a trend of disasters brought on by climate change. “Extreme weather events like Hurricane Ida are not one-off occurrences,” he added. “They are another another sign of the escalating climate crisis.”
Brown floods flowed through the open doors and windows of eateries along Main Street in Manayunk, a Schuylkill River district, including Pizzeria L’angolo. Guido Abbate, the owner, stood outside and assessed the situation.
He claimed he placed sandbags outside the shop about midnight on Wednesday, but the floods quickly overcame the barriers. He and his family had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on ovens, freezers, and other appliances, but he couldn’t preserve any of them, he claimed.
He added, “It was flowing so hard that the basement filled up, and it was coming through the heating and air-conditioning ducts.” “It came halfway up the windows,” says the narrator.
Hurricane Ida’s leftovers produced a tornado that hit Annapolis, Maryland, on Wednesday. Credit… Getty Images/Drew Angerer
The suburbs of Philadelphia were among the worst affected. Officials in Montgomery County stated during a press conference that “the magnitude and breadth of the devastation caused by this storm has been vast,” citing record floods, hundreds of water rescues, and the possibility of a tornado. Officials reported three individuals had died in the county, two of whom had drowned.
“The Schuylkill River and Perkiomen Creek are continuing to rise as a result of yesterday night’s rain,” said Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “Both rivers have already broken all-time highs.”
Late Wednesday night in Bucks County, Pennsylvania state troopers attempted to approach a vehicle that had drove into floods but were forced to postpone their attempts when the situation became too dangerous. The driver, a 65-year-old male, was discovered dead in the vehicle when they returned early Thursday morning.
On Thursday afternoon, the Delaware River in Bucks County was still rising. A county commissioner, Gene DiGirolamo, told reporters that some areas of the county received 10 inches of rain. Mr. DiGirolamo added, “I don’t believe it would be exaggerating to say this storm has been disastrous.”
On Wednesday night, at least four tornadoes touched down in Maryland, with one near Mullica Hill, New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
One of those tornadoes blasted across southern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, ripping roofs off houses and businesses, punching out windows, bringing down trees, and shutting down many blocks of the Annapolis commercial area.
In the village of Edgewater, just south of the city, power wires ran over the roadways, a home stood a few feet from its foundation, and a Toyota Tacoma perched on its roof. Although no injuries were recorded, people were left reeling by the storm, according to a Fire Department spokesman.
Carlos Zepeda, who ran to the basement with his daughter and mother-in-law when he heard the commotion, said, “It was simply like a flash for me.” “We looked for a place to hide, and suddenly it was over.”
When he went outside, he saw his neighbor’s barbecue in his yard, as well as a kitchen sink in the rear. It wasn’t his to begin with.
Jesus Jiménez, Michael Levenson, Isabella Grullón Paz, Eduardo Medina, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Ashley Wong, Brenda Wintrode, and Tiffany May provided reporting.
The date has been changed to September 2, 2021.
The date that four tornadoes touched down in Maryland and one in New Jersey was incorrect in a previous version of this story. It wasn’t Thursday night, but Wednesday.
Flushing Avenue’s 56th Street underpass, when floods surged high and swept away several cars trying to cross earlier. The New York Times’ Dakota Santiago contributed to this article.
As the leftovers of Hurricane Ida hit the area on Wednesday, at least 43 people were murdered in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
According to the authorities, fifteen individuals have died in New York, including 13 in New York City, the majority of them were discovered at residences in Queens and Brooklyn and varied in age from 2 to 86. The city’s medical examiner will establish the official causes of death later, according to the department.
Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Weissmandl, another casualty, was murdered when he was caught by floods at the Tappan Zee Bridge on his way home from Monsey, N.Y.
According to Gov. Philip D. Murphy, at least 23 persons were murdered in New Jersey.
According to Kelly Martins, a municipal spokesperson, four individuals were discovered dead in an apartment complex in Elizabeth, across the street from a flooded firehouse.
Two individuals were murdered in Hillsborough, New Jersey, after being stuck in their cars, according to a town spokesperson. According to authorities, two individuals were murdered in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey.
One guy was found dead in a vehicle amid fast rising floods in Passaic, N.J., according to Mayor Hector C. Lora, and a corpse was discovered inside a pickup truck in Hunterdon County, N.J., according to Henry Schepens, the mayor of Milford.
Pennsylvania authorities reported four individuals died in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, north of Philadelphia, with at least three of them drowning.
In Woodbury, at least one person, a Connecticut State Authorities officer, died when his car was washed away by floods, according to police.
Many of the victims of the New York floods lived in basement apartments, some of which were unlawfully cut out of bigger houses and may have lacked the emergency escape needed of genuine flats. Thousands of the city’s destitute seek shelter in these relatively low-cost housing places, despite the fact that they are notorious to be firetraps.
Three of the deceased in New York City were discovered in a house on 64th Street in Woodside, Queens: a 2-year-old child, a 48-year-old woman, and a 50-year-old man.
Choi Sledge, who lives on the third floor, said she got a panicked call about 9:30 p.m. from a lady who lives in the basement flat, whom she identified as Mingma Sherpa.
“She says, ‘The water is pouring in right now,’ and I tell her, ‘Get out!’ ‘Get to the third floor!’” says the narrator. Ms. Sledge remembered something.
“The water pouring in through the window is the last thing I hear from them.’ And that was the end of it.” Ms. Sherpa’s spouse, Lobsang Lama, and their son, Ang, were the other two individuals that perished, according to her.
An 86-year-old lady from Glendale, Queens, was the city’s oldest known casualty.
Jonah E. Bromwich, Andy Newman, Chelsia Rose Marcius Azi Paybarah, Luis Ferré-Sadurn, Matthew Goldstein, Maria Cramer Tiffany May and Sarah Maslin Nir provided reporting.
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Following Hurricane Ida, Biden said, “This isn’t about politics.”
President Biden spoke on the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ida as it swept through the eastern United States, saying the Federal Emergency Management Agency was on the ground to help those impacted.
This isn’t about politics, as we’re reminded. Hurricane Ida didn’t care whether you were a Democrat or a Republican, if you lived in the country or the city; its devastation was everywhere, and it was a question of life and death. We’re all in this together, after all. My message to the Gulf Coast residents, whom I’ll be visiting tomorrow: We’re here for you. We’re also making sure that the reaction and recovery are fair, so that those who have been struck the hardest receive the help they need and aren’t left behind. The same narrative of destruction and courage is being told in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. And I’d want to offer my sincere gratitude to all of the first responders, as well as everyone who has worked through the night and into the morning to save lives and restore electricity. There’s a lot of devastation, and I told the governors that my staff from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is on the ground and ready to help in any way possible.
President Biden spoke on the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ida as it swept through the eastern United States, saying the Federal Emergency Management Agency was on the ground to help those impacted. CreditCredit… The New York Times/Sarahbeth Maney
President Biden said on Thursday that the flash floods that flooded New York City and the high-speed winds that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands in Louisiana were signs that “extreme storms and the climate crisis are here,” and that the storms and fires that put people in danger across the country were “one of the great challenges of our time.”
“Hurricane Ida didn’t care whether you were a Democrat or a Republican, rural or urban,” Mr. Biden said, asking Congress to approve his economic plan when it returns from vacation later this month to fund vital electrical infrastructure improvements. “This devastation is all over the place. And it’s a life-or-death situation, and we’re all in this together.”
After speaking with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday night about the Caldor fire, which has threatened close to 35,000 structures, burned through 200,000 acres, and forced tens of thousands of California residents to flee their homes, Mr. Biden announced that he had approved a disaster declaration for the state.
He also pledged federal assistance to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, he added. “I told the governors that my staff at FEMA, the federal disaster management organization, is on the ground and ready to help in any way that is needed.”
Mr. Biden called on private insurance companies to “do the right thing” and pay the cost of temporary housing in the face of a national catastrophe, rather than rejecting coverage for living support costs for certain homeowners, in comments on his administration’s response to Hurricane Ida.
Mr. Biden warned against hiding behind small language and technicalities, adding that some insurance firms were refusing compensation to homes who were not under mandatory evacuation orders.
“No one left this deadly storm in search of a vacation, a road trip, or the ability to stay in a hotel,” he said. “They fled their houses because they believed they had no choice but to leave or face death. That isn’t something you can do on your own.”
He urged the insurance firms to “perform your job” in a harsh reprimand. Maintain your dedication to the communities you insure. Make the correct decision. In the event of a natural catastrophe, pay your policyholders what you owe them to cover the expense of temporary housing.”
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As storm waters swamped buses and subways throughout the city, New Yorkers captured the spectacle. Almost all of the city’s subway lines were shut down. CreditCredit… The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
On Friday, two days after Hurricane Ida’s leftovers dumped record amounts of rain on the area, service on most of New York City’s subway lines remained interrupted.
According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s website, most lines were suffering delays, and a few were partly stopped.
Amtrak stated that service between Washington and Boston on the Northeast Corridor will resume on Friday, but that all trains between Albany and New York City would be canceled.
Except for Montclair-Boonton, Gladstone, Pascack Valley, and Raritan Valley, New Jersey Transit stated that all trains will resume normal service on Friday. Trains have been halted as workers evaluate the storm’s damage.
By Thursday afternoon, the Long Island Rail Road had restored full service on all lines, with delays on trains going east of Mets-Willets Point on the Port Washington Branch. The majority of Metro-North Railroad lines were still out of service.
The delays came after a night of torrential rain, which flooded streets and railway stations, stranding hundreds of passengers.
The Long Island Rail Road’s president, Phil Eng, stated during a press conference on Thursday that the service halt was essential. “Shutting down service was not an easy choice to make, but with visibility approaching nil and the destruction that Ida was inflicting elsewhere, it was the correct call,” he added.
At Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport, dozens of flights were canceled or delayed, while at Newark Liberty International Airport, at least 370 flights were canceled Thursday morning. After flooding overnight, the bottom floor of Newark’s Terminal B remained closed.
The M.T.A.’s acting chairman, Janno Lieber, said on CNN on Thursday that people on 15 to 20 subway trains had to be rescued due to the storm. According to him, no one was hurt.
Mr. Lieber said, “The subway system in New York is not a submarine.” “We are certainly vulnerable to weather and water, particularly when the surface level, street level, drainage, and sewage system is overburdened, as it was last night.”
In recent years, New York’s 24-hour train service has been pummeled by severe storms. Following Sandy’s devastation in 2012, service was halted for many days. In July of this year, heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Elsa caused widespread flooding, including waist-deep water in the city’s metro stations.
Mario Villa, a chef at Tartina, waited at least two hours for a train to his home in Queens at the 96th Street Subway station in Manhattan on Wednesday. “We’ll wait,” he remarked at midnight, seated next to a coworker on a delayed No. 1 train. We don’t become irritated. All we have to do now is wait.”
Anne Barnard, Stacy Cowley, Andy Newman, Azi Paybarah, Christiaan Triebert, and Ashley Wong provided reporting.
After the flooding, the New York Police Department claimed it towed 500 abandoned vehicles. Credit… Reuters/Brendan Mcdermid
Dramatic footage and photos of vehicles floating on the streets and frantic drivers trying to go home will be among the enduring memories of Wednesday night’s storm. To escape to safety, several drivers got out of their automobiles and just abandoned them on the road.
According to a department spokesperson, the New York Police Department has hauled approximately 500 abandoned vehicles as of Thursday afternoon. (This figure excludes any vehicles that may have been hauled by a private firm.)
People searching for their vehicles may contact 311 to find out where they had been taken, according to the Police Department’s Twitter account early Thursday morning.
Some of the people who left their vehicles on the side of the road had terrifying stories to tell.
Peter Walker, 32, abandoned the U.S. Open match he was attending in Queens when the storm hit and attempted to travel to his parents’ home in Connecticut.
He began to regret his choice almost as soon as he got behind the wheel. He said, “There was so much rain and water everywhere.” “I couldn’t see much at all.”
Mr. Walker claimed he didn’t get into serious difficulty until about 11 p.m., when he arrived in Eastchester, Bronx, and attempted to drive under an underpass after Exit 13. When he observed vehicles buried in the water, he decided to be cautious and switch off his car and wait for the water to recede.
But, after seeing a Volkswagen Atlas – his car’s identical model — make it through the water, he decided to give it a go. He said, “The water got up over the hood, but I chose to keep driving fast so I wouldn’t get trapped.” “I tried to maintain my speed, but the motor finally stopped, and I was stranded in all this water.”
He knew he wouldn’t be able to get out. “I opened a back window in case I needed to get out, but the water began to creep in,” he said.
He waited for a terrifying 90 minutes in his vehicle till his father came in his automobile to rescue him.
After he departed, Enterprise, the company from whom he leased his automobile, took it away. Mr. Walker said, “The lady on the phone was very kind.” “She claimed it wasn’t my fault, that it was happening to everyone, and that I should simply get out of the vehicle and go somewhere safe.”
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Flooding caused by Hurricane Ida’s leftovers in the New York area produced hazardous circumstances when basement apartments flooded during the storm.
Basement apartments have long been a common feature of New York City’s vast housing stock, a shadowy network of illegal rentals that often lack basic safety features like multiple exits but provide a vital source of shelter for many immigrants, such as Robert Bravo, who lived in a dark basement unit in Brooklyn that he tried to cheer up with personal mementos.
The subterranean apartments, however, became agonizing scenes of life and death following Wednesday’s record-breaking rainfall: At least 11 people were killed in basement apartments in New York City as a result of Wednesday’s storm, almost as many as in Louisiana, where Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday.
Mr. Bravo was among them, whose flat became a death trap as water rushed inside it and soon smothered him.
It is hardly news that individuals living in unauthorized underground flats are in risk. While fires and, to a lesser extent, carbon monoxide poisoning have always been a concern, climate change has made these low-lying houses more dangerous for a different reason: the risk of fatal flooding, which occurs when a wall of water covers what is frequently the only means of escape.
Annetta Seecharran, executive director of the Chhaya Community Development Corporation, an organization that focuses on housing problems for low-income South Asian and Indo-Caribbean New Yorkers, stated, “If there was ever evidence that we need to solve this basement issue, this is it.” “These climate-related problems will continue to exist.”
The recent floods in New York City have renewed attention of the city’s basement housing regulations. Because most are illegal, it’s impossible to know how many there are, although it’s certainly in the tens of thousands.
It’s unclear if all of the houses where individuals perished during Wednesday’s storm were unlawful structures. However, a certificate of occupancy indicates that the basement of a house in Woodside, Queens, where a 2-year-old child and his parents were discovered dead, had not been authorized for residential use.
In 2012, two complaints of unlawful basements were filed for another Queens house where an 86-year-old lady was discovered dead, according to city records. After municipal building inspectors were unable to obtain entry to the basement, the complaints were closed.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Agency of Buildings said the department was looking into the fatalities, but that the department did not have “any records of any previously issued complaints at these buildings relating to unlawful conversion concerns.”
Reporting was provided by Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, Chelsia Rose Marcius, and Ali Watkins.
Long after the floodwaters had gone, the force of a flooded river could be seen in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The New York Times’ Dakota Santiago contributed to this article.
The sun shone brightly on Thursday, and the sky was a beautiful blue.
The night before’s detritus was all over the place.
As Hurricane Ida raced into New York and New Jersey, scattering vehicles, shutting down the New York subway system, downing trees, flooding basements, and drowning dense city districts in chest-high water, it killed more than 20 people. Seawater odors pervaded communities in New Jersey far from the Atlantic coast.
Intense rains had continued for hours, with 3.15 inches of rain falling on Central Park, breaking the previous record of 1.94 inches recorded only 11 days before during Hurricane Henri.
Officials were taken off surprise by the storm’s ferocity. “We had no idea that the skies would actually open up and send Niagara Falls-level water to the streets of New York between 8:50 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. last night,” said Gov. Kathy C. Hochul, who proclaimed a state of emergency in New York City on Thursday, in her second week in office. “Could it have been foreseen?” “I’d want to know.”
Residents who had taken preparations against Henri claimed they were caught off guard by Ida’s fury and suddenness, despite the fact that it was just two notches below hurricane force when it struck the northeast.
“I just don’t understand how it happened,” said Secoyah Brown, 30, owner of a two-month-old shop, Whisk & Whiskey, in the low-lying Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus. Three feet of water had surged into her basement.
She offered the shop to ten neighbors who needed temporary refuge during the storm on Wednesday.
Ms. Brown stayed in the store all night, watching the emergency storm warnings flash on her phone and wondering what more the storm might bring. “It’s very stressful,” she said. “We just got through Henri and now this,” says the narrator.
Mayor Hector Lora of Passaic, New Jersey, said on Facebook that 60 people who were evacuated on Wednesday evening have been returned home. However, there were still individuals missing and abandoned vehicles scattered across the city. Plus, when the Passaic River crests, there’s a chance of more flooding.
“We have any further concerns about flooding,” the mayor added, “but as of right now, we’ve been able to send people back home in our downtown area.”
Thousands were stuck at the US Open tennis facility in Queens, when rainfall poured through the domed top, halting play. The subway was not working and the streets surrounding Arthur Ashe Stadium were blocked, according to Lynn Moffat, 65, of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., where Diego Schwartzman was playing Kevin Anderson in the tournament’s second round.
“Others were receiving messages and phone calls from people saying, ‘The roads are impassable,’” she added. Don’t go outside because there are trees fallen everywhere and floods everywhere.’
Kevin Armstrong, Lauren Hard, Sean Piccoli, Nate Schweber, Precious Fondren, and Matthew Goldstein contributed reporting.
The New York Times’ Gregg Vigliotti covers Queens.- Bryan Anselm for The New York Times, Millburn, N.J.
- Bridgeport, Pennsylvania The New York Times’ Kriston Jae Bethel
- Stephanie Keith for The New York Times, Queens
- Stephanie Keith for The New York Times, Queens
- Lincoln Park, New Jersey Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago
- The New York Times’ Brooklyn correspondent Anna Watts
- The New York Times’ Gregg Vigliotti reports from the Bronx.
- Dakota Santiago of Queens for The New York Times
- The New York Times’ John Taggart covers Queens.
- Bryan Anselm for The New York Times, Millburn, N.J.
- Bryan Anselm for The New York Times, Millburn, N.J.
- The Bronx is a borough of New York City. Getty Images/David Dee Delgado
- Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer/Associated Press, Mullica Hill, N.J.
- Mike Segar/Reuters/Mamaroneck, N.Y.
- Times Square is the heart of New York City. The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
- Station on 28th Street The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
- Brooklyn’s Fourth Avenue The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
- Manhattan’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
- Times Square is the heart of New York City. The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
- Dakota Santiago of Queens for The New York Times
- Dakota Santiago for The New York Times in Brooklyn
- Dakota Santiago of Queens for The New York Times
The New York Times’ Gregg Vigliotti covers Queens.
Bryan Anselm for The New York Times, Millburn, N.J.
Bridgeport, Pennsylvania The New York Times’ Kriston Jae Bethel
Stephanie Keith for The New York Times, Queens
Stephanie Keith for The New York Times, Queens
Lincoln Park, New Jersey Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago
The New York Times’ Brooklyn correspondent Anna Watts
The New York Times’ Gregg Vigliotti reports from the Bronx.
Dakota Santiago of Queens for The New York Times
The New York Times’ John Taggart covers Queens.
Bryan Anselm for The New York Times, Millburn, N.J.
Bryan Anselm for The New York Times, Millburn, N.J.
The Bronx is a borough of New York City. Getty Images/David Dee Delgado
Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer/Associated Press, Mullica Hill, N.J.
Mike Segar/Reuters/Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Times Square is the heart of New York City. The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
Station on 28th Street The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
Brooklyn’s Fourth Avenue The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
Manhattan’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
Times Square is the heart of New York City. The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
Dakota Santiago of Queens for The New York Times
Dakota Santiago for The New York Times in Brooklyn
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On Wednesday, Hurricane Ida’s leftovers pummeled the area, dropping record rain and causing floods in the five boroughs, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Credit: Reuters/Danielle Parhizkaran/USA Today Sports
If something terrible occurs in the midst of a point in tennis, such as a cat running across the court, everyone agrees to “play a let.”
To say the least, the United States Tennis Association would welcome a reprimand for how it handled Wednesday night’s tennis practice. The USTA did nothing as a storm with record rainfall and strong winds approached the New York metropolitan region.
Despite the fact that the New York Mets, who play on the opposite side of the tracks, canceled their Wednesday game on Tuesday night, the United States Tennis Association did not postpone its planned matches or advise spectators to remain at home.
The United States Tennis Association has spent hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading the tennis facility over the last decade, including installing roofs on its two major stadiums so that at least some matches may be played in bad weather.
At a 4:30 p.m. meeting, the Police Department informed tennis officials that “heavy rain” was on the way.
Even though cancellations of matches on field courts started at 5:30 p.m., and all matches on uncovered courts were postponed at 6:10 p.m., over 22,000 spectators arrived on the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, many of them coming by public transit.
The grounds were opened to evening session ticket holders at 6:30 p.m. by the USTA. An hour later, it was obvious that the storm’s intensity had well beyond the tennis authorities’ expectations.
Thunderous rain battered Arthur Ashe Stadium’s roof in the early evening, while the wind drove rain sideways into Louis Armstrong Stadium, prompting authorities to call a halt to play at 8:15 p.m. The stadium was declared unusable shortly after 9 p.m., and spectators were moved to Ashe.
Fans were not asked to leave since the stadium’s roof was closed.
A spokesperson for the United States Tennis Association, Chris Widmaier, said the organization has briefings with police twice a day and constantly monitors the weather and its possible effect on the event. “Heavy rains were predicted for the late afternoon and into the night yesterday, according to the continuing forecast. At 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., the USTA has daily briefings with the New York Police Department. At these times, the U.S.T.A. was not recommended to cancel the evening session.”
Just before 9:30 p.m., the National Weather Service issued the first flash flood warning in New York City history, but authorities chose to keep the game going rather than send spectators out into the rain. Rail and metro service was significantly delayed or stopped before long, and the roads around the tennis facility were inundated, but the No. 7 train eventually resumed operation until the conclusion of the matches.
At least eight United States Tennis Association workers stayed the night at the tennis facility. Countless fans had perilous trips back to their homes.
Lynn Moffat, 65, of Sleepy Hollow, remained late into the night, watching as individuals all around her received texts and phone calls stating, “The roads are impassable.” Don’t go out because there are trees down everywhere and water everywhere,’ she added.
Ms. Moffat said she and her brother went to the tournament and took a two-hour journey across Manhattan to bring a buddy home after pushing tennis authorities to let them remain until the rain stopped. She added, “I’ve never witnessed destruction like what I saw last night.” “I was there on September 11th. I’ve gone through a few of snowstorms. It was incredible to witness dozens and dozens of vehicles that were completely smashed up, twisted about, or submerged.”
Rit Bottorf, 38, of Prospect Heights, was also with his mother at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Mr. Bottorf said that after the 7 train was operational again, they arrived at Times Square just as the trains were ceasing to run. “There were people sitting and lying on the ground since there was no rail service, and they had no means of getting home,” he added. “I was fortunate to obtain an Uber for the final part of the journey at the last minute.”
Andrea Joffe, 38, remained until 1:30 a.m. at the tennis facility.
She said she didn’t realize how severe the weather was since she hadn’t been outdoors in hours and hadn’t gotten any weather warnings.
She booked an Uber when the tennis match finished, but when she walked outside to meet her driver, authorities informed her that the park was flooded and that no vehicles could get through.
“They finally loaded us into a big police bus and drove us out of the park,” she added. “Even then, it was impossible to locate your Uber since everything was flooded surrounding the area where we were waiting.”
She eventually found a driver and paid $300 to go to her White Plains home, a trip that normally costs a third of that much. “It was a terrifying ride. Because the roadway was flooded, people were going the wrong way, and you couldn’t pass the abandoned cars,” she said. “I prayed without a doubt.”
Credit… Johnny Miller is a well-known actor.
A hooded delivery guy walked through waist-deep water, holding someone’s takeout food in a white plastic bag and wheeling his electric bicycle, as others in vehicles waited for firemen to rescue them, struck Johnny Miller straight immediately.
Mr. Miller, a freelance photographer, caught the image on film at 10:02 p.m. on Wednesday as he stood at the junction of North 11th and Roebling Streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, being drenched by the violent rain. It struck out to him as a stark illustration of the city’s economic disparities.
Mr. Miller remarked, “Seeing this man ride his bicycle past these folks in Mercedes to deliver Chinese cuisine twisted my stomach.” “Some of us have the luxury of not working during a catastrophe, while others do not.”
He shared a video from his Unequal Scenes account, which chronicles poverty and injustice across the world: “And through it all!” says the narrator. He tweeted, “@Grubhub delivery is still out there delivering your supper,” but he didn’t specify if the individual works for Grubhub or for another delivery service.
The video quickly went viral, and it has already been watched over six million times.
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted the video, encouraging people not to order delivery during the storm: “If it’s too hazardous for you, it’s too dangerous for them,” she wrote. “Raid your cabinets or enlist the assistance of a neighbor.”
Others, like former Manhattan district attorney candidate Eliza Orlins and sports writer David Aldridge, echoed that call. “On a night like tonight, you can’t eat a bowl of cereal for dinner?” Mr. Aldridge wrote a letter.
When demand is strong, food delivery businesses pay additional money to delivery drivers, which may lead to hazardous incentives as drivers balance the benefits of a particularly profitable night against the dangers to their health and safety.
More than ten news organizations had contacted Mr. Miller by noon Thursday, offering money to license the footage, he said. He plans to give the money — which totals more than $1,700 so far — to the delivery guy in the movie, but first he has to figure out who he is.
Mr. Miller expressed his optimism, saying, “I truly hope I can locate him.”
Reporting was provided by Jonah E. Bromwich.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a state of emergency for New York City and several neighboring counties early Wednesday morning. Credit… The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
The aftermath of Ida’s heavy rains will be the first significant test of Kathy C. Hochul’s capacity to react to an urgent catastrophe for the newly elected governor of New York.
Ms. Hochul, who took over as governor last week after Andrew M. Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment accusations, has already started to use the government’s levers to react to reports of flooding and power outages.
Ms. Hochul issued a state of emergency in New York City and several of its neighboring counties on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley early Wednesday, giving local authorities greater leeway to react swiftly to the storm’s disruptions.
She later claimed that the intensity of the rain took authorities off surprise during a meeting in Queens with Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City and Senator Chuck Schumer, as well as other political leaders.
“We had no idea that the skies would actually open up and send Niagara Falls-level water to the streets of New York between 8:50 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. yesterday night,” Ms. Hochul said. “Could it have been foreseen?” “I’d want to know.”
“There were warnings, tornado warnings all evening,” she said, “but I’ll look into whether or not more could have been done.”
As New York starts to evaluate the scope of the damage, Ms. Hochul said she talked with President Biden, who “offered whatever assistance.” She also said that she had ordered the Department of Financial Services to contact individuals whose houses had been damaged in order to assist them in filing insurance claims for compensation of damages.
Ms. Hochul said that although the state had learned important lessons from Hurricane Sandy, the city’s vulnerabilities were highlighted by the street-level flash floods that occurred on Wednesday night, adding that such floods “were unknown before.”
Ms. Hochul defended the state’s reaction during a later briefing on Long Island, saying that forecasts had overestimated the quantity of rain that fell in the area.
Ms. Hochul said, “We spoke to the meteorologists.” “They make their best guesses, but this isn’t the only location in the nation where people have been taken aback by unexpected events.”
Ms. Hochul had gone on a media blitz before the briefings to give updates on the storm’s impact, advising people to remain off the roads and avoid needless travel, after reports of flooded subway stations and numerous fatalities.
Ms. Hochul appeared on CNN and NY1 at midnight on Wednesday. She was back on those news networks, as well as two local radio stations, by 8 a.m. on Thursday morning.
“We knew there was going to be a storm, but this was unprecedented,” Ms. Hochul told WINS. “We’re still coping with the consequences, and the loss of life is certainly heartbreaking” (1010).
In many respects, Ms. Hochul’s reaction to the severe storm damage will serve as a live demonstration of how she performs as the state’s top executive in a high-pressure scenario, as she tries to cooperate with local authorities and console distraught New Yorkers.
Mr. Cuomo basked in his position as crisis management, and Ms. Hochul’s reaction may be a study in contrasts. Mr. Cuomo, on the other hand, has been chastised for preferring a top-down style to governance, in which he often overrules local authorities and has storm briefings without his political foe, Mr. de Blasio.
During the briefing on Thursday, Mr. de Blasio said, “The report was three to six inches over the course of a full day, which was not a very significant amount.” “With virtually no breeze, it turned into the wettest single hour in New York City history.”
Ms. Hochul had planned to sign the state’s newly extended eviction moratorium into law at an event in Yonkers on Wednesday morning, but her administration canceled the appearance soon after announcing the state of emergency.
Video
On Thursday, the New York region was declared a state of emergency after Hurricane Ida’s leftovers caused at least eight fatalities and interrupted subway operations. CreditCredit… The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
On Wednesday, the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record amounts of rain over the New York City region. The total quantities measured by the National Weather Service at sites throughout the area between 4 a.m. Wednesday and 4 a.m. Thursday are shown below.
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7.19 inches in Central Park
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2.77 inches at John F. Kennedy International Airport
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2.63 inches at Mac Arthur Airport on Long Island
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New York’s Republic Airport, Farmingdale: 2.01 inches
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1.84 inches, Shirley, Brookhaven Airport, N.Y.
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Francis S. Gabreski Airport, Westhampton Beach: 1.48 inches
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8.44 inches at Newark Liberty International Airport.
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Somerset Airport, Somerville, New Jersey: 2.92 inches
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5.6 inches in Trenton, Mercer County Airport, N.J.
New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy inspects storm-damaged houses in the Mullica Hill neighborhood. Credit… Associated Press/Joe Lamberti/Camden Courier-Post
Shortly after seeing the devastation left by Hurricane Ida in southern New Jersey, New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy said that the remains of Hurricane Ida had killed at least 23 people in his state and that he had requested President Biden to designate the state a major disaster.
He expressed his condolences to the families of those who died, saying, “The bulk of these fatalities were people who were trapped in their cars by floods and were overwhelmed by the water.”
Mr. Murphy described the storm as a “unforgivable, unprecedented occurrence” that should serve as a warning of climate change’s consequences.
Mr. Murphy remarked as he stood in front of houses in Mullica Hill that were devastated by a storm Wednesday night, “There is no other way to describe it.” “Things are changing in the globe. These storms are coming in with more frequency and intensity.”
Mr. Murphy said that 93,000 homes lost power at the storm’s peak, and that almost half of them still didn’t have it restored as of Thursday afternoon.
Mr. Biden said on Thursday that he had contacted Mr. Murphy and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and offered them federal assistance.
He added, “I made it plain to the governors that my staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is on the ground and ready to give all the help that’s required.”
Mr. Murphy spent the morning in Harrison Township, a Gloucester County neighborhood in southern New Jersey, where tornadoes destroyed and damaged a large number of homes. The storm ravaged two big farms, one of which lost 100 cows, according to Louis Manzo, the mayor of Harrison, who spoke to media Thursday morning.
He said that any funds received from the federal government as a result of the Senate’s infrastructure bill approved last month will be used to develop defenses against future climate catastrophes.
The president of the State Senate, Stephen M. Sweeney, accompanied the governor and other local and state leaders in surveying the devastation, describing Gloucester County as “a bomb struck in certain areas.”
Mr. Sweeney, a Democrat whose district includes Gloucester Township, said, “Anyone who is a global warming skeptic, take a look at what’s going around.” “These creatures are becoming more powerful, and the harm is increasing. Something has to be done.”
Reporting was provided by Jonah E. Bromwich.
On Wednesday, people waited for a bus in Brooklyn. On Thursday, the remnants of Hurricane Ida made landfall in New England. Credit… The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
On Thursday, the leftovers of Hurricane Ida rushed across portions of southern New England, flooding streets and houses but without inflicting the devastating devastation that had immobilized the New York City region only hours before and killed scores of people.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm dropped more than nine inches of rain on New Bedford, Mass., and over seven inches on Middletown, Conn., while more than eight inches of rain fell on Portsmouth, R.I., and approximately four inches on Hudson, Maine.
According to officials, a Connecticut State Police sergeant died when his car was washed away in floods in Woodbury, Conn., on Thursday morning. Brian Mohl, a 26-year veteran of the department, requested assistance at 3:30 a.m. and was subsequently discovered following a search including divers, helicopters, and other resources, according to officials. According to state police, he was believed dead while being transported to a hospital, where his death was confirmed.
Sergeant Mohl “has sacrificed his life for our better good,” stated Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont during a press conference.
A tornado touched down near Dennis, Mass., on Cape Cod, at approximately 1:45 a.m., with winds of roughly 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
According to Lt. Peter Benson of the Dennis Police Department, the tornado caused minor damage to one home and some tree damage, but no one was hurt. “After speaking with the residents, they understood what was going on and sought refuge in the basement,” he added.
Firefighters in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, rescued 15 individuals from an apartment complex where storm water had flooded the electrical outlets, according to fire chief Scott Kettelle. He claimed no one was hurt, but two first-floor apartments were flooded.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management banned shellfish harvesting in Narragansett Bay and coastal salt ponds due to concerns about storm water runoff and overflowing sewers. Oysters and other shellfish, which are valued delicacy in the state, may be contaminated by sewer water and storm water runoff.
The flooding in Portsmouth, R.I., caused a road to split and collapse, and water supply was “extremely limited,” according to local police.
The Waltham, Massachusetts, police department posted a picture of multiple school buses submerged in floodwater, while the Bristol, Rhode Island, police department shared a shot of flooded vehicles.
The Blackstone River had flooded backyards and had reached roadways in Northbridge, Massachusetts, some 43 miles southwest of Boston.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said it was in touch with towns across the state to assess the damage.
“At this moment, the observed damage is mainly street flooding and other minor floods, as well as trees/power lines down resulting in scattered power outages,” according to the agency.
Amtrak stated at 11 a.m. that all service between Washington and Boston for the day had been canceled.
The National Weather Service had issued a warning for life-threatening flash floods in metropolitan areas, including roads and underpasses, as well as places near streams and small rivers.
Despite reports that nine inches of rain had fallen in New Bedford, Neil Mello, the mayor’s chief of staff, stated that most of the city had only gotten approximately five inches.
He claimed the Fire Department had been working all night draining out flooded basements and that several low-lying junctions had flooded. However, “in comparison to winter storms and other storm events,” Mr. Mello added, “the effect on the city traffic and electricity was fairly modest.”
Several rivers in Connecticut, including the Mount Hope River in Ashford, the Quinnipiac River in Southington, and the North Branch Park River in Hartford, have reached or crested above moderate flood level, according to the Weather Service.
Despite the fact that the rain had passed through the region by the middle of Thursday, there were still many flooded roadways throughout southern New England.
The Weather Service in Boston cautioned on Thursday morning that the flooding in these places would take longer to drain. “This morning, do not try to cross any flooded roads. Do not drown! Turn around!”
This hurricane season, two tropical storms have already made landfall in Rhode Island: Henri last month and Elsa in July.
On Thursday, abandoned vehicles were found in Lodi, New Jersey. Credit… Associated Press/Seth Wenig
Heavy rains and floods in New Jersey on Wednesday night prompted some frantic drivers to leave their vehicles on the roads, leading officials to request assistance removing them on Thursday.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation said on Twitter that it has requested that the cars be removed off state and interstate highways by state, county, and municipal police.
NJDOT has requested the New Jersey State, County & Municipal Police remove any abandoned or disabled vehicle on State & Interstate Roadways – Statewide, effective at 4 am today. If your vehicle was removed, contact your local police non-emergency number. Stay Home, Stay Safe
— New Jersey Department of Transportation (@NewJerseyDOT) September 2, 2021
On Twitter, the department advised, “Stay Home, Stay Safe.” The agency said that it would not be able to give further information on the number of abandoned cars right away.
Hundreds of abandoned cars sat with their hazard lights flashing along the shoulders of Route 3 in the northern portion of the state, Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City, and the Garden State Parkway on Thursday morning.
As police vehicles approached, many automobiles were facing the opposite way, against the flow of traffic.
Many of the vehicles were still stuck by Thursday afternoon.
According to the Department of Transportation, all interstate roads were open, but several state highways were partially blocked due to floods, fallen trees, and wires and debris on the roadways, according to James Barry, a department spokesperson.
In an email, he added, “The department is currently evaluating damage.” “Until the floods recede, it will be impossible to assess or begin repairs in certain areas.”
Governor Phil Murphy said the state will look into the message system to see why individuals were traveling despite tornado and flash flooding warnings.
He told reporters Thursday morning, “The warnings did go out.” “There were an excessive number of vehicles on the route. Thankfully, the most of them were abandoned and no one was hurt, but this was not the case for everyone.”
Two individuals were murdered in Hillsborough after being stuck in their cars, according to Pam Borek, a spokesperson for the Somerset County town.
She claimed the town’s fire department spent hours Thursday morning rescuing individuals stuck in their vehicles.
Tiffany Davis, 36, of Paterson, went outside her three-story building on Governor Street, a block from the fast-flowing Passaic River, early Thursday morning to see the storm’s damage.
A 21-foot boat remained in the center of the road, still on its trailer but unattached to a car.
Her neighbor’s home was pushed against a car that had been displaced by the surging waves. It smelled like filth in the air.
She pointed to eight stalled cars on a gravel and grassy area near her apartment.
Ms. Davis said, “Every vehicle on that lot is completed.”
Wednesday evening in Manhattan. The strongest 1% of storms in the Northeast now deliver 55% more rainfall than they did in the mid-twentieth century. Credit… The New York Times’ Stephanie Keith contributed to this article.
The torrential rains that drenched New York and New Jersey on Wednesday served as a harsh reminder of climate change: as the world warms, severe rainstorms are dropping more water than ever before, threatening to destroy communities that are unprepared.
According to the federal government’s National Climate Assessment, the heaviest downpours have grown more common and intense throughout the continental United States in recent decades. The strongest 1% of storms in the Northeast now deliver 55% more rainfall than they did in the mid-twentieth century.
“There is a lot of variation year to year, but the tendency is becoming more apparent over time,” said Aiguo Dai, an atmospheric science professor at the University of Albany, SUNY. “This is precisely what climate models and theory predicted.”
Other areas of the globe are also seeing more severe rainstorms. In Germany and Belgium, exceptionally severe rainfall in July caused rivers to break their banks, destroying houses and killing more than 220 people. Days of heavy rain in Zhengzhou, China, flooded the city’s subway system and killed at least 300 people in the area the same month.
While scientists can’t always anticipate when and where such rainstorms will strike, they can see how global warming is causing them to become more powerful. As the temperature rises, more water from the seas and land evaporates into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the atmosphere can contain approximately 7% extra water vapor for every 1 degree Celsius of global warming.
That implies that when a rainfall does develop, more water may flow to the earth, sometimes in a relatively short amount of time. In areas of the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia, recent research have shown a rise in hourly rainfall extremes.
And, as the world warms, the danger of more severe rains will increase. Since preindustrial times, the Earth has warmed by around 1.1 degrees Celsius, owing to greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation. A recent study from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change cautioned that unless such emissions are reduced quickly, the world may warm twice as much or more.
Because so much of New York’s land area is covered over with impermeable surfaces like asphalt, runoff is directed into streets and sewers rather than being absorbed into the terrain, cities like New York are more susceptible to unexpected downpours.
