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At least 41 dead after Ida batters Northeast with record rain and floods-UPDATED

03 September 2021 07:00 (UTC +04:00)

Flash flooding killed at least 44 people in four Northeastern states as remnants of Hurricane Ida unleashed torrential rains that swept away cars, submerged New York City subway lines and grounded airline flights, officials said on Thursday, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Across large swaths of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, residents spent the day coping with water-logged basements, power outages, damaged roofs and calls for help from friends and family members stranded by flooding.

At least 13 people lost their lives in New York City, along with three in suburban Westchester County, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a tweet at least 23 people from that state had perished in the storm.

Among the fatalities, three people were found dead in a basement in the New York City borough of Queens, while four residents of Elizabeth, New Jersey, died at a public housing complex flooded by 8 feet (2.4 m) of water.

Roadways were transformed into river-like torrents in minutes as the downpours struck on Wednesday night, trapping drivers in quickly rising floodwaters. Scores of vehicles were found abandoned on area roadways Thursday. In Somerset County, New Jersey, at least four motorists were killed, officials said.

02:33

At least 41 people were killed as the remnants of Hurricane Ida battered the Northeast with tornadoes, record rain and flooding that left the area deluged and under states of emergency on Thursday, APA reports quoting NBCnews.

Videos on social media showed cars submerged on highways and water pouring into subway stations and homes after a wind-driven downpour shattered rainfall records and prompted an unprecedented flash flood emergency for New York City.

Four women, three men and a 2-year-old boy died in separate flooding incidents in the city, police said. All eight victims lived in Queens and died in the basements of residential homes, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea.

A ninth victim was confirmed by Mayor Bill de Blasio during a news conference Thursday, but he did not provide any further details.

"Our hearts ache for the lives lost in last night's storm. Please keep them and their loved ones in your thoughts today," he said. "They were our fellow New Yorkers and to their families, your city will be there for you in the days ahead."