"The sky opened and Niagara Falls poured down" Hurricane hits US Northeast... At least 25 dead (Comprehensive Report 2)

Northeastern Major Cities Including New York Flooded... State of Emergency Declared
Manhattan Central Park Records Highest Rainfall Since Weather Observations Began

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] At least 25 people have died and more than 200,000 households have experienced power outages in major metropolitan areas in the northeastern United States, including New York, which was hit by Hurricane Ida. Due to the largest recorded rainfall, major rivers have overflowed, and the scale of flood damage is increasing.

According to foreign media such as CNN on the 2nd (local time), at least 25 people have died so far in the northeastern U.S. regions including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, where Hurricane Ida passed through. Among them, at least 12 people are reported to have died in New York alone.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), more than 9 inches (about 22.9 cm) of rain fell in one day in northeastern states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island the previous day. In Central Park, located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, 7.19 inches of rain was recorded, marking the highest rainfall since weather observations began in 1869. The hourly rainfall also reached 3.15 inches, breaking the all-time record. CNN reported that the rain that poured down in New York is estimated to be about 35 billion gallons, enough to fill 50,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

In particular, many casualties occurred in the basements of apartments in Queens and Brooklyn, where illegal accommodations were made by modifying the basements. A total of 8 casualties were reported. A resident of an apartment in Queens, where 3 deaths occurred, said, "The landlord told the basement tenants to evacuate quickly, but the water pressure was so strong that they probably could not open the door and escape."

Flood damage also occurred at 46 subway stations in New York City, and rescue operations were carried out overnight. CNN reported that at Times Square station, passengers could not go outside due to heavy rain and spent the night sleepless inside the subway station from around 9:45 p.m. the previous evening when the subway stopped.

In New Jersey, which borders the western part of New York State, at least 8 people died. One person died due to the flooding of the Passaic River, and 4 deaths were confirmed in an apartment in Elizabeth, a city in southern New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, one person lost their life after being trapped under a tree, and two others drowned. As recovery from the heavy rain damage begins, more deaths are expected to be confirmed.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Power outages caused by flood damage are also severe. A total of 200,000 households experienced power outages across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. A large number of evacuees also emerged due to flood damage forcing people out of their homes. In New Jersey, the roof of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) building collapsed, and in Pennsylvania, the Schuylkill River overflowed, flooding highways.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a press conference that day, "The sky literally opened, and water poured onto the streets of New York at the level of Niagara Falls," and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also appealed, "Citizens barely passed through hell. We need help."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.