Hurricane Ida caused devastating floods and a rare state of emergency in New York on Thursday night, killing at least nine people.
Streets turned into rivers, subway stations were also flooded, and public transportation services said services were virtually non-existent. La Guardia and JF airports Hundreds of flights were canceled, as was the case in Newark, where the video showed the terminal flooded with rainwater.
Floods have blocked major roads in many areas, including Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. Ida landed in Louisiana last weekend, causing severe floods and tornadoes, leaving a devastating trail on its way north.
New York Gov. Katie Hochul declared a state of emergency as storm surges caused severe flooding in the country’s financial and cultural capital, with Brooklyn and Queens badly affected.
Gov. Phil Murphy also declared a state of emergency in neighboring New Jersey, where, according to CNN, at least one person was killed in the city of Pasike, resulting in a confirmed death toll in Ida reached 16.
“Tonight we are experiencing a historic weather event with record rains in the city, severe floods and dangerous conditions on our roads,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter, declaring a state of emergency in the city.
While the footage from the city shows sunken cars on the streets of the city, the authorities urged residents not to drive on flooded roads.
“You don’t know how deep the water is, and it’s very dangerous,” the New York branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote on Twitter.
City officials have previously warned of rare floods, urging residents to move to a higher location.
In Annapolis, 50 kilometers from the US capital, a tornado uprooted a tree and knocked down electric poles.
Ida is expected to continue its devastating journey north and bring torrential rain to New England on Thursday, where a rare tropical storm erupted in late August.