Thursday, September 2nd

More than 25 deaths after Ida remnants slam Northeast

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN, DAVID PORTER and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

A member of a rescue team walks through a flooded street on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Bridgeville, Pa. Pennsylvanians braced for downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, with forecasters warning that creeks, streams and rivers would be inundated across the state's southern tier. (Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) - A stunned U.S. East Coast faced a rising death toll, surging rivers, tornado damage and continuing calls for rescue Thursday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida walloped the region with record-breaking rain, filling low-lying apartments with water and turning roads into car-swallowing canals.

In a region that had been warned about potentially deadly flash flooding but hadn't braced for such a blow from the no-longer-hurricane, the storm killed at least 26 people from Maryland to New York on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

At least 12 people died in New York City, police said, one of them in a car and eight in flooded basement apartments that often serve as relatively affordable homes in one of the nation's most expensive housing markets. Officials said at least eight died in New Jersey and three in Pennsylvania's suburban Montgomery County; one was killed by a falling tree, one drowned in a car and another in a home. An on-duty state trooper in Connecticut was swept away in his cruiser and later taken to a hospital, state police and local authorities said.

In this image taken from video provided by Scott Smith, a fast-moving tornado is seen in the distance through a windshield just before the toll booth for the Burlington Bristol Bridge on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Burlington, N.J. (Scott Smith via AP)

Felix Delapuente, a neighbor fo the home in the Queens borough of New York where three people died including a 2-year old child, shows the flood damage in his basement, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in New York. The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City, with several deaths linked to flooding in the region as basement apartments suddenly filled with water and freeways and boulevards turned into rivers, submerging cars.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

In New York City, Deborah Torres said water rapidly filled her first-floor Queens apartment to her knees as her landlord frantically urged her neighbors below - who included a baby - to get out, she said. But the water was rushing in so strongly that she surmised they weren't able to open the door. The three residents died.

"I have no words," she said. "How can something like this happen?"

Ida's remnants lost most of the storm's winds but kept its soggy core, then merged with a more traditional storm front and dropped an onslaught of rain on the Interstate 95 corridor, meteorologists said. The situation has followed hurricanes before, but experts said it was slightly exacerbated by climate change - warmer air holds more rain - and urban settings, where expansive pavement prevents water from seeping into the ground.

The National Hurricane Center had warned since Tuesday of the potential for "significant and life-threatening flash flooding" and moderate and major river flooding in the mid-Atlantic region and New England.

Still, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the storm's strength took them by surprise.

"We did not know that between 8:50 and 9:50 p.m. last night, that the heavens would literally open up and bring Niagara Falls level of water to the streets of New York," said Hochul, a Democrat who became governor last week after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned.

The lights of Times Square in New York are reflected in standing water Thursday, Sept 2, 2021, as Hurricane Ida left behind not just water on city streets but wind damage and severe flooding along the Eastern seaboard. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

De Blasio, also a Democrat, said he'd gotten a forecast Wednesday of 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 cm) of rain over the course of the day. The city's Central Park ended up getting 3.15 inches just in one hour, surpassing the previous recorded high of 1.94 inches (5 cm) in one hour during Tropical Storm Henri on Aug. 21.

The storm ultimately dumped over 9 inches (23 cm) of rain in parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and nearly as much on New York City's Staten Island.

In Washington, President Joe Biden assured Northeast residents that federal first responders were on the ground to help clean up.

In the nation's most populous city, some highways flooded, garbage bobbed in water rushing down the streets and water cascaded into the city's subway tunnels, trapping at least 17 trains and forcing the cancelation of service throughout the night and early morning. Videos online showed riders standing on seats in cars filled with water. All riders were evacuated safely, officials said.

A subway station that had earlier flooded remains closed after a state of emergency was declared in New York Thursday, Sept 2, 2021, as the remnants of Hurricane Ida remained powerful as it moved along the Eastern seaboard. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

At one Queens development, water filled the sunken patio of a basement apartment, then broke through a glass door and rushed in, trapping a 48-year-old woman in 6 feet (2 meters) of water. Neighbors unsuccessfully tried for an hour to save her.

"She was screaming, 'Help me, help me, help me!' We all came to her aid, trying to get her out. But it was so strong - the thrust of the water was so strong," said the building's assistant superintendent, Jayson Jordan.

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, near Newark Airport, four people died and 600 were left homeless from rain and river flooding in an apartment complex, Mayor J. Christian Bollwage said.

Neighbors described hearing screaming from the complex at about 11 p.m. as water flowed down the street, pushing dumpsters and cars around.

"Sandy had nothing on this," resident Jennifer Vilchez said, referring to 2012′s Superstorm Sandy.

Cars make their way through flooded streets and around abandoned cars in Teterboro, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Greg Turner, who lives in another part of the city, said his 87-year-old mother started calling 911 from the complex at 8 p.m. when the water started rising in her apartment. He said he and his brother tried to rush to her rescue, but the water was too high.

By close to midnight, the water was up to her neck, he said. Rescuers finally were able to cut through the floor of the apartment above and pull her to safety.

"She lost everything," Turner said as he headed to a bank to get money to buy his mother some clothes and shoes.

Elsewhere in New Jersey, flooding killed two people in Hillsborough, two in Bridgewater, and one in Milford Borough, where authorities found a man's body a car buried up to its hood in dirt and rocks, authorities said.

The ferocious storm also spawned tornadoes, including one that ripped apart homes and toppled silos in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, south of Philadelphia.

Resident Ashley Thomas, her husband and their two young children rushed to their basement after hearing sirens. But after waiting for 15 minutes with debris falling on them, they bolted to the yard, said Thomas, 37. She broke several toes and has a bruise on her shoulder but was grateful her family and neighbors survived.

A home which was damaged by a possible tornado is seen on Josephine Lane in Harrison Township, N.J., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The remnants of hurricane Ida brought heavy rains and possible tornadoes to the area (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Record flooding along the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania inundated homes and commercial buildings, swamped highways, submerged cars and disrupted rail service in the Philadelphia area. In a tweet, city officials predicted "historic flooding" on Thursday as river levels continue to rise. The riverside community of Manayunk remained largely under water.

The Schuyilkill reached levels not seen in over 100 years in Philadelphia, where firefighters were still getting calls about minor building collapses and people stuck in flooded cars Thursday morning, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said.

Heavy winds and drenching rains punched a hole in the roof of a U.S. Postal Service building in New Jersey. Rain rushed through a terminal at Newark International Airport Wednesday and threatened to overrun a dam in Pennsylvania. Meteorologists warned that rivers likely won't crest for a few more days, raising the possibility of more widespread flooding.

Rescues took place all over New York City as its 8.8 million people saw much worse flooding than from Henri, which was followed by two weeks of wild and sometimes deadly weather across the nation. Wildfires are threatening Lake Tahoe, Tropical Storm Henri struck the Northeast and Ida struck Louisiana as the fifth-strongest storm to ever hit the U.S. mainland, leaving 1 million people without power, maybe for weeks.

A raging Little Conemaugh River is shown at its confluence with the Stonycreek Rivers (which form the Conemaugh River) at the historic Stone Bridge in downtown Johnstown, Pa., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Emergency officials rushed to evacuate about 3,000 people below a dam near Johnstown on Wednesday after hours of heavy rains triggered plans to ensure the safety of downstream residents.(John Rucosky/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)

Members of the Weldon Fire Company walk through floodwaters in Dresher, Pa. after downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, hit the area Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A flash flood warning continued into Thursday in New England. Authorities used boats to rescue 18 people from a flooded neighborhood in Plainville, Connecticut, and 15 people - including one who uses a wheelchair - from a flooded complex in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. A road in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, crumbled.

Parts of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where 2,200 people died after an infamous dam failure in 1889, were evacuated for a time Wednesday after water reached dangerous levels at a dam near the city. An official said later Wednesday that the water levels near the dam were receding.

In Frederick County, Maryland, first responders used a boat to rescue 10 children and a driver from a school bus caught in rising flood waters. The county's school superintendent apologized for not dismissing students earlier, The Frederick News-Post reported.

The Atlantic hurricane season is far from over. Larry became a hurricane Thursday morning, forecast to rapidly intensify into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm by Sunday. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said it's moving west but remains far from any coast.

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Porter reported from Elizabeth, New Jersey. AP reporters Bobby Caina Calvan, Karen Matthews and Jennifer Peltz in New York City; Maryclaire Dale in Mullica Hill, New Jersey; Seth Borenstein and Darlene Superville in Washington; Michael Catalini and Shawn Marsh in Trenton, New Jersey; Wayne Parry in Point Pleasant, New Jersey; Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania, Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

Vehicles that are submerged are seen on Bulter Are. near Morris Rd. in Montgomery County, Pa. Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The remnants of hurricane Ida brought heavy rains and possible tornadoes to the area (Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

A home that was damaged by a possible tornado is seen on the corner of Josephine and Marvin Lanes in Harrison Township, N.J, Wednesday Sept. 1, 2021. The remnants of hurricane Ida brought heavy rains and possible tornadoes to the area (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Flooded Morris Road is closed at its intersection with Bulter Are. in Montgomery County, Pa., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The remnants of hurricane Ida brought heavy rains and possible tornadoes to the area (Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

An emergency vehicle navigates a flooded Westtown Road at Chateau Drive in Westtown Township, Pa. Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Heavy rain from the remnants of Ida moved into Chester County. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Water is pumped from the basement of a business on Noblestown road in Oakdale, Pa., during clean up from flooding after downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, hit the area Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A car is stranded on a flooded street Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Bridgeville, Pa. Pennsylvanians braced for downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, with forecasters warning that creeks, streams and rivers would be inundated across the state's southern tier. (Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

Water floods a street Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Bridgeville, Pa. Pennsylvanians braced for downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, with forecasters warning that creeks, streams and rivers would be inundated across the state's southern tier. (Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

Pedestrians take cover near Columbus Circle in New York Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, as the remnants of Hurricane Ida remained powerful while moving along the Eastern seaboard. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

The Manayunk section is flooded in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Shown is flooding in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Abandoned cars sit in high water on a road in Lodi, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An abandoned car sits in high water on a road in Lodi, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A man makes his way through a flooded street in Teterboro, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Cars make their way through flooded streets and around abandoned cars in Teterboro, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Vehicles are under water during flooding in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A vehicle is under water during flooding in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Damage to the side of a building from the remnants of Hurricane Ida is shown on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the Queens borough of New York. Three people were killed when several feet of water collapsed the wall to their basement apartment and flooded the apartment. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Waves slam along the shore near high tide as the remnants of Hurricane Ida leave coastal Massachusetts, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Scituate, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Ragendra Shivprasad, left, the landlord of a building where three people were killed when several feet of water collapsed the wall to a basement apartment, stands with neighbors as they watch the scene, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the Queens borough of New York. The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City, as freeways and boulevards turned into rivers, submerging cars. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

People view a flooded street in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A police officer stands guard as a man survey the damage to home where people died after their basement apartment flooded in the Jamaica neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in New York. The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City, with several deaths linked to flooding in the region as basement apartments suddenly filled with water and freeways and boulevards turned into rivers, submerging cars.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The Schuylkill River exceeds its bank in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic candidate for mayor of New York Eric Adams, center, talks to reporters outside a home where people were killed when their basement apartment was flooded in the Jamaica neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in New York. The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City, flooding the region with water as freeways and boulevards turned into rivers, submerging cars.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, center, and DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, right, speak to a resident the Jamaica neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York after a news conference near a home where people died after their basement apartment flooded, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in New York. The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped historic rain over New York City as freeways and boulevards turned into rivers, submerging cars. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Children launch homemade sailboats as a resident wades through a flooded street to check on a neighbor's house after the remnants of Hurricane Ida passed through the area, Thursday, Sep. 2, 2021, in Narragansett, R.I. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

A person walks in floodwaters in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A motorcyclist drives through floodwaters in Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

People look at a flooded street as the Schuylkill River exceeds its bank in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A person walks on a flooded street as the Schuylkill River exceeds its bank in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

An employee of United Automatic Fire Sprinkler helps to clean up after the business was flooded from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that hit the area in Woodland Park, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The Manayunk neighborhood in Philadelphia is flooded Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in the aftermath of downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)