At least 14 individuals lost their lives due to rising waters in basements. A tornado in southern New Jersey destroyed a row of houses. Some motorists have been stuck since Wednesday night, with over 200,000 households in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania still lacking power. States of emergency have been announced throughout the area. The heavy rain on Wednesday, over six inches in a short period, transformed streets and subway platforms into waterways, prompting rescue teams in boats to save individuals stranded on car roofs and in flooded residences. Numerous individuals on trains and subways were evacuated. The rain, which surpassed previous records set by Tropical Storm Henri just 11 days earlier, highlighted the concerns of climate scientists about the impact of storms on a planet that is warming. With warmer air holding more water and allowing storms to intensify and expand rapidly, experts warn that this may become the new normal. Despite some improvement in the weather, several subway lines in the city remain partially suspended, as well as commuter rail services in the region. While airports are operational, numerous flights have been cancelled. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with some rivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania still experiencing rising water levels. In New York City, the victims of the storm ranged from a 2-year-old boy to an 86-year-old woman, according to police reports. In basement apartments in Queens, some individuals drowned due to a system of makeshift and mostly illegally converted living spaces. City officials in Elizabeth, New Jersey, reported the discovery of five dead bodies in an apartment complex. Passaic, New Jersey experienced one fatality as the Passaic River overflowed its banks, causing fish to be seen in the streets. Central Park received a record-breaking 3.15 inches of rain in one hour on Wednesday, surpassing the previous record of 1.94 inches on Aug. 21. The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency in New York City for the first time, struggling to convey the level of danger. In Bergen County, the most populous county in New Jersey, County Executive James Tedesco, who used to be a firefighter, stated on Thursday that they are facing near total devastation, which is the worst he has ever seen. The remnants of Ida moved through parts of southern New England on Thursday, with the system located near eastern Long Island, New York, moving quickly northeast towards Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Heavy rain overnight led to flash flood warnings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, with the weather service warning of the potential for rare high impact flooding in southern New England. The rain had already caused flash flooding in various areas such as small creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, as well as other locations with poor drainage and low elevation, as reported by the weather service. Even though the rain was starting to leave the region, there were still many flooded roads in southern New England. The Weather Service in Boston warned that it would take some time for the water to go down in these areas and advised people not to try to drive through flooded roads. Rhode Island has already experienced two tropical storms this hurricane season: Henri in August and Elsa in July. Copyright 2021 by The New York Times Company.