Dozens dead as Storm Ida dumps record rain on New York area, causing flash floods

Storm Ida unleashed torrential rains that swept away cars, submerged New York City subway lines and grounded airline flights

Thirteen died in New York City, including 11 who could not escape their basements, police said

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Commuters walk into a flooded Third Avenue/149th Street subway station in New York City. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:05am, 3 Sep 2021Updated: 10:09pm, 3 Sep 2021

Flash flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida killed at least 44 people in four northeastern US states, including several who perished in their basements during the “historic” weather event that officials blamed on climate change.

Record rainfall, which prompted an unprecedented flash flood emergency warning for New York City, turned streets into rivers and shut down subway services as water cascaded down platforms onto tracks.

“I’m 50 years old and I’ve never seen that much rain ever,” said Metodija Mihajlov whose basement of his Manhattan restaurant was flooded with three inches of water.

“It was like living in the jungle, like tropical rain. Unbelievable. Everything is so strange this year,” he said.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled at LaGuardia and JFK airports, as well as at Newark, where video showed a terminal inundated by rainwater.

“We’re all in this together. The nation is ready to help,” President Joe Biden said ahead of a trip on Friday to the southern state of Louisiana, where Ida earlier destroyed buildings and left more than a million homes without power.