At least 14 individuals lost their lives due to flooding in basements, while a tornado in southern New Jersey destroyed a row of houses. Reports have surfaced of drivers being stuck since Wednesday night, with over 200,000 households in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania still lacking electricity. States of emergency have been announced throughout the area. The heavy rainfall on Wednesday, amounting to over six inches in a short span of time, transformed streets and subway platforms into waterways, prompting rescuers to use boats to save individuals stranded on car rooftops and in flooded residences. Hundreds of individuals on trains and subways were also evacuated. The rainfall surpassed previous records set by Tropical Storm Henri just 11 days earlier, highlighting concerns from climate experts about the increasing frequency and intensity of storms due to a warmer planet. Despite improving weather conditions, many subway lines in the city are still partially closed, as well as commuter rail services. Flights at airports are operating, but numerous flights have been canceled. Rescue efforts are ongoing, and some rivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are still experiencing rising water levels. In New York City, the fatalities include individuals ranging from a 2-year-old boy to an 86-year-old woman, according to police. Some individuals perished in basement apartments in Queens, where a system of temporary and mostly unlawfully converted living spaces has emerged. Five individuals were discovered deceased in an apartment complex in Elizabeth, New Jersey, according to city officials on Thursday. Additionally, one fatality occurred in Passaic, New Jersey, as the Passaic River overflowed and fish were seen on the streets. The 3.15 inches of rain that poured down in Central Park in just one hour on Wednesday surpassed the previous record of 1.94 inches in one hour on Aug. 21. The National Weather Service, facing challenges in conveying the extent of the danger, declared a flash flood emergency in New York City for the first time. In Bergen County, New Jersey's most populous county, County Executive James Tedesco, who used to be a firefighter, stated on Thursday that the devastation caused by Ida was close to complete. He mentioned that it was the worst he had ever seen. The remnants of Ida moved across parts of southern New England on Thursday, with the system located near eastern Long Island, New York at 5 a.m. The system was moving northeast at 28 mph towards Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with maximum sustained winds of 28 mph. Heavy rain overnight led to more rain expected in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, with flash flood warnings in effect. The weather service warned of the potential for rare high impact flooding in southern New England. The rain had already caused rapid flooding in various areas such as small creeks, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, and other low-lying areas, as reported by the weather service. Even though the rain was starting to move away, there were still numerous 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, advising people not to try to drive through flooded roads. Rhode Island has experienced two tropical storms, Henri in August and Elsa in July, during this hurricane season. Copyright 2021 The New York Times Company.