Ida flooding wreaks havoc in NYC, New Jersey: 46 dead, subway issues
NEW YORK – The death toll from the remnants of Hurricane Ida’s blast through the Northeast rose Thursday after fierce downpours and flooding, claiming four times as many lives as the storm’s initial landfall.
At least 46 people died Wednesday and Thursday, state and local officials said. Twenty-three deaths were reported in New Jersey, 16 in New York, five in Pennsylvania, one in Maryland and one in Connecticut.
The carnage comes days after Hurricane Ida barreled ashore Sunday in Louisiana packing 150 mph winds. At least 9 deaths due to flooding and carbon monoxide poisoning have been reported Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed the 23 deaths in his state in a news conference Thursday afternoon. The majority of the deaths were people who got caught in their vehicles by flooding and were overtaken by the water, he said.
“Please keep each and everyone of them and their families in your prayers, and let’s hope that that number doesn’t go up,” Murphy said. He added: “Please stay off the roads. We’re not out of this yet.”
Standing beside the governor, U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski told Americans the disaster should be a “wake-up call.”
“Anybody who believes that it’s too expensive to stop climate change … has got to wake up to the fact that we cannot afford not to,” Malinowski said.
At least 13 people died in New York City, and suburban Westchester County reported three deaths.
In New York City, the downpours turned streets into
