Under the title "See What Happened to Americans Who Fled the Hurricane into Subway Tunnels," Al Arabiya reported on frightening and intense water flows captured in videos filmed by Americans who fled from Hurricane Ida, which has been wreaking havoc for four days in the southeastern United States, including New York. Most of the subway tunnels at the 28th Street station were filled with water, trapping several who had fled to escape the hurricane after ignoring a warning issued by the city's Transportation Authority not to travel at this time, causing them to experience moments of real terror.
A 70-year-old man was reported dead in New Jersey, and a 19-year-old in Maryland. New York authorities reported at least seven fatalities, including a two-year-old child, due to the hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast region with winds reaching 272 kilometers per hour. Among the flood victims in New York were another two-year-old child, a 48-year-old woman, and a 50-year-old man who were found inside a home in the Queens neighborhood, according to Al Arabiya’s coverage of the New York Times report, which mentioned two additional deaths in Queens and a 48-year-old woman in Brooklyn, with another woman of the same age reported missing, along with a 66-year-old man. Consequently, the governors of New York and New Jersey declared a state of emergency to combat heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also declared a state of emergency in the city, particularly in its subway stations, posting a series of tweets stating, "We are experiencing a historic weather event tonight (Wednesday) with record rainfall across the city, severe flooding, and dangerous conditions on our roads." He urged New Yorkers to "stay indoors" as the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida moved through the area. He also noted that thousands were without power in the city, adding, "We have seen about 5,300 customers without electricity, and we expect the rain to stop in the coming hours."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on Wednesday night. Local channel WCBS-TV reported that at least one tornado struck New Jersey earlier, killing the 70-year-old man who was swept away by floodwaters, with his body not recovered until Thursday morning. Additionally, the roof of a postal service building collapsed while several people were inside, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
