At least 14 individuals perished due to rising waters in basements. A tornado in southern New Jersey destroyed a row of homes. Several drivers are said to have been stuck since Wednesday night, with over 200,000 residences in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania still lacking electricity, prompting states of emergency to be declared throughout the area. The heavy rain on Wednesday, exceeding six inches in a short period, transformed streets and subway platforms into streams, leading to emergency personnel using boats to save individuals stranded on car roofs and in flooded residences. Numerous individuals on trains and subways were also evacuated. The rain that fell recently broke previous records set by Tropical Storm Henri just 11 days earlier. This emphasizes the warnings from climate scientists that such storms are becoming more frequent due to a warmer planet, where increased heat can lead to stronger and larger storms more quickly. While the skies are clearing, many of the city's subway lines are still partially suspended and commuter rail services are affected. Flights have been cancelled and rescues are ongoing. Some rivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are still rising. In New York City, the victims of the storm ranged from a 2-year-old boy to an 86-year-old woman. Some individuals perished in underground apartments in Queens, where a network of makeshift and often illegally converted living spaces has emerged. In Elizabeth, New Jersey, city officials confirmed the discovery of five deceased individuals in an apartment complex on Thursday. Additionally, one person lost their life in Passaic, New Jersey, as the Passaic River overflowed and fish were seen on the streets. The downpour of 3.15 inches of rain in Central Park within one hour on Wednesday exceeded the previous record of 1.94 inches of rain in one hour on Aug. 21. The National Weather Service, faced with the challenge of conveying the severity of the situation, issued a flash flood emergency in New York City for the first time. In Bergen County, the most populous county in New Jersey, County Executive James Tedesco, who used to be a firefighter, stated on Thursday that the area experienced severe damage but not complete devastation. He mentioned that it was one of the worst situations he had ever witnessed. The remnants of Hurricane Ida moved through parts of southern New England on Thursday, with the system located near eastern Long Island, New York as of 5 a.m. It was 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. The weather service warned 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 stated by the weather service. Despite the rainfall moving away, many roads in southern New England remained flooded. According to the Weather Service in Boston, it will take some time for the water to go down in these areas. They advised against attempting to cross flooded roads and urged people to turn around instead to avoid drowning. Rhode Island has already experienced two tropical storms this hurricane season: Henri in the previous month and Elsa in July. Copyright 2021 The New York Times Company.