The death toll from severe weather in the US states of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania has risen to 41. The remnants of Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in the southern state of Louisiana earlier this week, caused heavy precipitation in the northeastern US , tornadoes, floods and mudslides.
23 people have been killed in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphey said on Twitter. He says it mainly concerns people who drowned in their vehicles due to flooding. “We mourn with the bereaved,” said Murphey.
Police say 12 people have been killed in New York City as a result of the tropical storm. Three people died in nearby Westchester. According to news channel NBC , 11 of the people in New York died because they were trapped in the basement of their house. A state of emergency has been declared in New York and New Jersey. Three people died in a suburb of Philadelphia.
Record amounts of precipitation were measured in the center of New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio called the storm and flooding in the city “historic”. Metro connections have also been flooded and trains and flights have been canceled due to the flooding.
US President Joe Biden has since pledged support. He praised the “heroic” New York Fire Department for rescuing people from flooded subway stations.