The flash floods that followed Hurricane Ida killed at least 44 people near the New York area in a single night on Thursday. Several people died in the basement during the catastrophe, which was attributed by the authorities to climate change, as reported by AFP.
The United States experienced record rainfall in some areas near New York. It raised an unprecedented flash flood emergency warning for New York City. Roads were turned into rivers, while railway tracks were submerged in water.
“I’m 50 and I’ve never seen so much rain. It was like living in the forest, like tropical rain. Incredible. Everything is so weird this year,” said Metodija Mihajlov, whose restaurant filled with three, to AFP. That was inches of water.
Several flights were canceled at LaGuardia and JFK airports as well as Newark.
“We’re all in this together. The nation stands ready to help,” President Joe Biden said Friday ahead of a visit. 1
13 people died in New York, including 11 who could not escape their basement, according to police.
United States citizens call floods ‘historic’
“The majority of these deaths were individuals who were trapped in their vehicles,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy told reporters.
How the climate crisis is an inequality crisis:
Many of these deaths occurred in basement dwellings, many of which are illegal and are on the rise due to the affordable housing crisis, but do not meet the safety standards required to keep people safe in incidents like flash floods. https://t.co/6ImAWXEvEj
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 2 September 2021
Lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: “Among those most at risk here during a flash flood are people living in basements without books that don’t meet safety codes needed to save lives.”
“These are the working class, immigrants and low-income people and families,” she said.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “We are enduring a historic weather event in the city tonight with record-breaking rain, severe flooding and dangerous road conditions.”
“Global warming is upon us and unless we do something about it, it is only going to get worse and worse and worse,” Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said.
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