Hurricane Ida Flooding Leaves Dozens Dead, Homes Underwater

ACROSS AMERICA — The death toll from the historic flooding from the Hurricane Ida system that hit the Northeast has neared 50. The Associated Press reported around 8:30 p.m. Thursday that 46 people drowned in their homes and cars as flooding ravaged several states.

Images and videos from New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, show waters as high as homes in some areas, rivers overflowing for the first time in decades and daring rescues of people living in basements and lower levels across the region. In one shot, water from a river in Philadelphia rose nearly as high as the bridge above it.

At least nine people have died in New York City alone, eight in the Queens borough. Rescue crews continued work throughout the region into Thursday afternoon. Four others drowned in the basement of an apartment complex in Elizabeth, New Jersey, according to several reports.

“Right now, my street looks more like a lake,” Lucinda Mercer, of Hoboken, New Jersey, told Reuters.

Rainfall totals surpassed 9 inches in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. An hourly record of 3.15 inches of rain hit NYC's Manhattan borough, marking the second record rainfall there in as many weeks.

The storm continued to hit hard farther north. In Rhode Island, Kingston saw the highest rainfall totals at 9.83 inches, while Portsmouth was not far behind at 8.3 inches.

President Joe Biden said his administration was “ready to provide all the assistance that’s needed," pledging help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wherever it is needed. Local officials pleaded for an emergency declaration.

The region hadn't expected a serious blow from the no-longer-hurricane Ida, yet the storm killed at least 18 people from Maryland to New York on Wednesday night as basement apartments suddenly filled with water, rivers and creeks swelled to record levels and roadways turned into car-swallowing canals, according to The Associated Press.

In New York City, many became trapped in flooded basements, police and Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Four people were found dead in an apartment complex in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the city’s mayor and spokesperson told local media, correcting an earlier report of five.

Outside Philadelphia, officials reported “multiple fatalities,” saying no additional details were immediately available, according to the AP. The city's Schuylkill River reached record levels Thursday morning.

"We all have a long road ahead of us," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said.

In Philadelphia:

just a little side by side comparison of the schuylkill river this morning compared to normal #philadelphia #IdaAftermath pic.twitter.com/uhXlwwbtXk
— megan | מיה (@kehillahjewess) September" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/kehillahje... 2, 2021

More Flooding Coverage On Patch:

• 'Expect The Very, Very Worst': NYC Faces Future Ida-Scale Threats
• Mother, Son Among The NYC Dead After Flooding
• Ida Slams Philly Region, Dangerous River Flooding Still Possible
• Unbelievable Footage Of Philly Flooding
• NYPD Rescues Disabled Man, Dog Trapped In Flooded Basement
• Connecticut State Trooper Swept Away By Flood Waters
• At Least 1 Dead, Main Roads Closed In Forest Hills
• 1 Dead In Bloomfield As Town Reels From Ida
• Raritan River Floods As Piscataway Residents Rescued
• How Much Rain Did Ida Dump On Massachusetts?
• Ida Brings 'Unbelievable' Flooding To Brooklyn
• NJ Transit Service Suspended Nearly Everywhere
• NYC Subway Delays Still Widespread, Some Service Restored
• Man Smokes Hookah While Floating On Raft Amid Flooding