Deadly storm Ida brings extreme rainfall, flash flooding and tornadoes demonstrating major cities may not be climate ready

AccuWeather Global Weather Center – September 2, 2021 – Three days after making landfall in southeastern Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane, what was left of Ida advanced northward across the Northeast as a tropical rainstorm resulted in at least 8 known fatalities and unloading more than a month’s worth of rain just a few hours into September.

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More than a dozen tornado warnings had been issued across northern Virginia, eastern Maryland, southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey by late Wednesday evening as rain and thunderstorms on the southern edge of the system started to swirl.

By Wednesday evening, New York and New Jersey were seeing their share of flash flooding. The National Weather Service’s office in New York City reported having rainfall rates of at least 3 to 5 inches an hour in northeastern New Jersey and portions of New York City. The Newark Airport reported 3.4 inches between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. EDT.

Central Park, New York, observed 3.10 inches of rainfall within just one hour, from 8:51 p.m. to 9:51 p.m. EDT.

The office issued a flash flood emergency for New York City, Brooklyn and Queens around 9:30 p.m., extending until 11:30 p.m. EDT. This was the first flash flood emergency issued for New York City, and the second flash flood emergency issued by the office. The first one had been issued only an hour prior for northeastern New Jersey.

Heavy rain continued in the New York City for several hours after that. Numerous roads were flooded and water rescues were performed. Mayor Hector Lora of nearby Passaic, New Jersey, said that one person died due to drowning inside a vehicle. Other occupants of the vehicle were rescued by emergency crews. Later, the mayor said that “multiple fatalities” had occurred throughout Passaic with people trapped in cars, although further details were not immediately available.

Multiple water rescues were reported in other towns in northern New Jersey and in New York City.

As the rain continued to pour down, numerous roads had to be closed and a state of emergency was declared in many communities, including Hoboken, New Jersey, and Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Then, just after 11:30 p.m. EDT, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency for New York City itself. In fact, even a police officer had to be rescued by other officers. In addition, subway service was suspended and a travel ban was put into effect in the city, which was due to last until 5 a.m. EDT Thursday morning. Furthermore, all Amtrak services between Philadelphia and Boston were canceled through 9 a.m. EDT Thursday morning.

After a state of emergency was declared by New York City’s mayor, a state of emergency was also declared by New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul.

Farther north, buildings at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, lost power due to flooding.

Overall, more than 45,000 customers were without power in New York state, with another 20,000 in Connecticut and over 72,000 in New Jersey, according to PowerOutage.US.

More flooding will be possible across southern New England as Ida’s heavy rain soaks the region before moving off the coast.

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