Death toll keeps on rising as the New York Region continues to struggle with the destruction unleashed by Hurricane Ida. Three states have struggled on Thursday to overcome the devastating and deadly rains brought on by the Hurricane. At least 24 people were killed by the storm in the three states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which left more than 150,000 homes without power. As officials sought to get a handle on the damage, the state of emergency remained in effect across the region by midday Thursday.
National and local leaders acknowledged that the region would need to adjust to a reality in which extreme weather events are going to be the norm. In his address, President Biden said that the damage indicated that “extreme storms and the climate crisis are here,” and called it “one of the great challenges of our time.”
The heavy rains on Wednesday — more than half a foot fell in just a few hours — left streets and subway platforms waterlogged. Emergency responders in boats rescued people from the rooftops of cars, while hundreds of commuters were evacuated from trains and subways.
A tornado in southern New Jersey leveled a stretch of houses. Some rivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania had been reported to be still rising.
New York City’s subway lines remained at least partly suspended as of midday on Thursday, as was commuter rail service across the region. Airports were open but hundreds of flights had been cancelled.
