Ian Patrick, FISM News
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The death toll continues to rise for Hurricane Ida which left a devastating path of destruction from Louisiana to Connecticut over the past several days. Currently 55 people have been killed by the storm, including 46 in the Northeast alone.
President Biden has approved emergency declarations for New Jersey and New York as they work to repair the damage now that the storm has moved out to sea. In his declarations, Biden directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. “
Total rainfall in the Northeast got as high as 9 inches in some counties, according to the National Weather Service. The service also had to issue New York City’s first flash flood emergency due to the extent, power, and duration of the rainfall in the area. NWC issued five flash flood emergencies in total on Wednesday evening from Philadelphia up to Northern New Jersey. Tornadoes also spawned from the storm during its northeast traversal, causing more damage.
As of 6PM Thursday, we are forecasting flooding at 43 locations across the Mid-Atlantic region. Please follow the latest forecasts at https://t.co/47CQ6yEqJn pic.twitter.com/0pLVLsUdsN
— NWS MARFC (@NWSMARFC) September 2, 2021
Biden plans to visit Louisiana today where hundreds of thousands still remain without power, which is especially worrisome as many are without air conditioning while the state is experiencing temperatures upwards of 100 degrees. It has been estimated that the storm caused as much as $18 billion in damage.