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 drivers have been stuck since Wednesday night, over 200,000 residences in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are still without electricity, and states of emergency have been declared in the area. The heavy rain on Wednesday caused streets and subway platforms to flood and forced emergency personnel to rescue individuals from car rooftops and flooded residences using boats. Numerous individuals on trains and subways had to be evacuated. The rain that fell recently broke previous records set by Tropical Storm Henri just 11 days earlier. This highlights the warnings from climate scientists that these storms are becoming more common on a planet that is heating up, leading to stronger and larger storms. While the skies are now clearing, several of the city's subway lines and commuter rail services are still partially suspended. Many flights were cancelled at the airports. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with some rivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania still rising. In New York City, the deceased individuals ranged in age from a 2-year-old boy to an 86-year-old woman, according to police. In Queens, some individuals tragically drowned in basement apartments due to a system of makeshift and often illegally converted living spaces. City officials in Elizabeth, New Jersey reported five deaths in an apartment complex, while Passaic, New Jersey experienced one death as the Passaic River overflowed onto the streets. Central Park received 3.15 inches of rain in one hour on Wednesday, breaking the record of 1.94 inches set on August 21. The National Weather Service issued 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 were not completely devastated but very close to it. He mentioned that the situation was the worst he had ever seen. The remnants of Ida moved across parts of southern New England on Thursday. By 5 a.m. Thursday, the system was near eastern Long Island, New York, moving northeast at 28 mph towards Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with maximum sustained winds of 28 mph. Following heavy rain overnight, more rain was expected in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, where flash flood warnings were issued, according to the weather service. The weather service also warned of the potential for rare high-impact flooding in southern New England. The rain has already led to flash flooding in various areas such as small creeks, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, as well as other locations with poor drainage and low elevation, as reported by the weather service. Despite the rain moving away, there are still many roads flooded in southern New England. The Weather Service in Boston warned that it will take some time for the water to go down in these areas, advising people not to try to cross flooded roads and to turn around to avoid danger. Rhode Island has experienced two tropical storms, Henri last month and Elsa in July, so far this hurricane season. Copyright 2021 The New York Times Company.