At Least 29 Dead in Northeast from Hurricane Ida Rain and Floods

At least 29 people have died in the Northeast from record rainfall and floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

As reported by NBC News, New York police say four women, three men, and a 2-year-old boy died in five separate flooding incidents in the state. Per New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea, all eight victims lived in Queens and died in the basements of residential homes.

At a news conference Thursday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — who declared a state of emergency late Wednesday evening — confirmed there was a ninth victim in the state.

“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.”

In New Jersey, 17 other people were killed, including four residents at the Oakwood Plaza Apartments complex in Elizabeth, four people in Somerset County, and one person whose body was recovered in Passaic. Per Elizabeth spokesperson Kelly Martins, of the four residents, three were family members, ages 72, 71, and 38, and the other was a 33-year-old female neighbor.

Like de Blasio, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also declared a state of emergency, urging residents to “stay off the roads, stay home, and stay safe.”

NBC News reports that per Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, there have been at least three storm-related fatalities in Pennsylvania, though details have yet to be released.

As seen on social media, devastating videos show cars submerged in water, as well as water pouring into subway stations.

According to the National Weather Service, the daily rainfall total at Central Park was 7.13 inches on Wednesday, while Newark reported 8.41 inches. NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins says both areas received more than three inches of rain in an hour — the most ever recorded in an hour in these regions.

In response to this severe weather, New Jersey Transit suspended all rail service Wednesday night and Thursday, while Amtrak suspended all trains between Washington, D.C., and Boston on Thursday.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden called the natural disaster “one of the great challenges of our time” and a sign that “extreme storms and the climate crisis are here.”

“Hurricane Ida didn’t care if you were a Democrat or Republican, rural or urban,” Biden said while urging Congress to pass his economic agenda, which aims to invest in critical infrastructure. “This destruction is everywhere. And it’s a matter of life and death, and we’re all in this together.”

Earlier this week, Hurricane Ida, previously labeled as category 4 but then downgraded to a tropical storm, ripped through Louisiana and nearby states, resulting in the deaths of at least six people and leaving millions without power.