New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency before midnight on Wednesday following heavy flooding across the city. The National Weather Service also issued its first-ever flash flood warning for the city as remnants of Hurricane Ida continued to bring heavy rainfall.
Heavy rain flooded subway lines in the city, while also flooding major streets in Manhattan, New Jersey, and Brooklyn. The NWS initially issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Northeast New Jersey. An hour later, the agency extended the Flash Flood Emergency for the entire city.
"We're enduring a historic weather event tonight with record-breaking rain across the city, brutal flooding, and dangerous conditions on our roads," de Blasio said.
According to the NWS, a record 3.15 inches of rain fell on Central Park in just one hour. This surpassed the record 1.94 inches of rain during Tropical Storm Henri last month. Heavy winds and rains and at least one tornado had been detected in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
28th St & 7 Ave subway station (Chelsea, Manhattan) pic.twitter.com/2q4UQRIhm0 — Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) September 2, 2021
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Thursday that all flights from the Newark Liberty International Airport will be suspended. The airport's parking lots also had to be closed due to severe flooding. Trains going to the airport have also been suspended. The Metropolitan Train Authority said it will operate at a limited capacity due to flooding across the region. The agency also "strongly" advised commuters to avoid traveling and to stay indoors. Governor Phil Murphy has already declared a state of emergency for all of New Jersey. Officials have urged residents to avoid traveling if necessary and to stay away from flooded roads.
Queens Boulevard in Maspeth/Corona is a literal river at the moment. Bus fully flooded driving through, multiple cars stuck in the water. Absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/LuSL9uWCEl — Joe English (@JoeEEnglish) September 2, 2021
A report from the Washington Post said the heavy winds and floods from the hurricane had killed at least one person in New Jersey. Severe weather in the state has already collapsed the roof of a U.S. Postal Service building. Heavy rainfall is reportedly now threatening to overrun one dam.
Images and videos posted on social media showed several houses being torn to pieces by a tornado in Mullica Hill County in southern New Jersey just outside Philadelphia.
