New York, New Jersey declare emergencies, at least 9 reported dead in record rains

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The governors of New York and New Jersey declared a state of emergency late on Wednesday as record-breaking rains from tropical storm Ida led to flooding and unsafe circumstances on the roads, with media reporting at the least 9 deaths.

“I’m declaring a state of emergency to assist New Yorkers affected by tonight’s storm,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned on Twitter.

New York Metropolis Mayor Invoice de Blasio described the flooding and climate on Wednesday night time as a “historic climate occasion.” The Nationwide Climate Service issued a flash flood emergency in New York Metropolis for the primary time.

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No less than one particular person was killed because the flooding inundated the New Jersey metropolis of Passaic, Mayor Hector Lora informed CNN.

NBC New York reported that another particular person had died in New Jersey and 7 had died in New York Metropolis, together with a 2-year-old boy. Native media reported that folks had been trapped of their basements because the storm despatched water surging via town.

Lora mentioned the physique of a person in his seventies was retrieved from floodwaters. The automobile the person was using in was swept away by the water and firefighters had been swept below the automobile, stopping them reaching him, CNN reported.

Practically all New York Metropolis subway traces had been suspended late on Wednesday because the remnants of Ida introduced torrential rain and the specter of flash floods and tornadoes to elements of the northern mid-Atlantic, CNN reported earlier.

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All non-emergency automobiles had been banned from New York Metropolis’s streets till 5 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Thursday because of the climate, metropolis authorities mentioned on Twitter.

No less than 5 flash flood emergencies had been issued on Wednesday night by the Nationwide Climate Service, stretching from west of Philadelphia via northern New Jersey.

Earlier within the night time, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy additionally declared a state of emergency. He wrote on Twitter that 81,740 energy outages had been reported late on Wednesday.

A twister swept via New Jersey’s Gloucester County, damaging a number of properties, in response to CNN affiliate WPVI.

All New Jersey Transit rail companies other than the Atlantic Metropolis Rail Line had been suspended because of the excessive climate, the service mentioned on its web site.

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The storm harm from Ida had astounded officers on Wednesday, three days after the highly effective hurricane pounded southern Louisiana, and reconnaissance flights revealed whole communities devastated by wind and floods.

Tornadoes spawned by the storm ripped via elements of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, photographs on social media confirmed.

New Jersey’s Newark Liberty Airport mentioned on Twitter it was experiencing “extreme flooding.” It mentioned it resumed “restricted flight operations” near midnight in any case flight exercise was suspended late on Wednesday.

Social media photographs confirmed water gushing over New York Metropolis’s subway platforms and trains. Subway service was “extraordinarily restricted” because of the flooding, the Metropolitan Transit Authority mentioned.

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First responders evacuated individuals from the subway system, the performing chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Janno Lieber, mentioned in a press release.

De Blasio urged individuals to remain dwelling.

“Please keep off the streets tonight and let our first responders and emergency companies get their work carried out. For those who’re considering of going exterior, don’t. Keep off the subways. Keep off the roads. Don’t drive into these heavy waters. Keep inside,” he wrote on Twitter.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; further reporting by Ann Maria Shibu and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Sarah Morland in Gdansk; Modifying by Christopher Cushing, Shri Navaratnam and Hugh Lawson)