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02nd Sep 2021

New York declares state of emergency after “historic” rain and “brutal flooding”

Stephen Porzio

It comes after the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit NYC.

New York has declared a state of emergency after suffering “historic” rain and “brutal flooding”.

It comes as the remnants of Hurricane Ida reached NYC after pushing north across the east of the US causing massive damage and multiple deaths, having hit Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane at the weekend.

Videos have circulated on Twitter of the hurricane’s impact on New York, showing subway stations flooding, water pouring into people’s homes and cars submerged on roads.

In a statement, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said: “I’m declaring a state of emergency in New York City tonight.

“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 urged people to stay off the streets and let first responders and emergency services get their work done.

“If you’re thinking of going outside, don’t. Stay off the subways. Stay off the roads. Don’t drive into these heavy waters. Stay inside,” he said.

“We’re keeping our eyes on our power grid. We’ve seen about 5,300 customers without power.

“We expect the rain to stop in the next few hours. But until then, again, if you’re not inside, get inside.”

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for the city, telling the public to move immediately to higher ground and to avoid walking or driving through flood waters.

Main Image via @NYJuve/ Twitter

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