New Fatalities in New Jersey in wake of Tornados, Deadly Flooding and More

Nine homes ripped apart in Mullica Hill, New Jersey - At least 23 dead in NJ and & 7 in NYC

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A massive tornado destroyed a neighborhood in Mullica, NJ.
Diane Lilli
Posted

It's clear that the violent storms hitting the Earth, including local regions in New Jersey and NYC, are something we must adjust to as regular events.  Epic and historic flash flooding and tornados hit hard last night.

As of now, the death count has risen to 23 people in New Jersey and 7 fatalities in New York City.  These storm-related deaths include a 2-year old toddler in NYC, a 70-year old man who drowned in his car in  Passaic, NJ, 4 people who drowned in cars in Bridgewater and Hillsborough, and another 4 people from one apartment complex in Elizabeth.  Officials said more fatalities may be discovered as they search flooded areas.

Tornados ripped off the roofs of numerous homes in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. Several homes in this devastated town were ripped apart by the intense tornado. As of today, there are nine homes reported as destroyed there, on Mariv and Josephine Lanes, and the count may go up as local teams scour the area.

Last night, Governor Phil Murphy declared that New Jersey was in  a State of Emergency, in response to Tropical Storm Ida. Executive Order No. 259 declared a State of Emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey, allowing resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm. 

“Tropical Storm Ida is severely impacting all areas of our state,” said Governor Murphy. “The safety of our residents is our main priority, and we urge everyone to be informed of local weather conditions and to stay off the roads.”

Widespread power outages in both New Jersey and NYC are also occurring today, and massive flooding shut down most of the MTA subway system in NYC. Avoid travel, avoid driving due to surging floods and be patient. This is will be a massive clean-up.

In Passaic, police report one driver drowned in his car as it was swept away in flash flooding. On Route 280 and local roads all over the state, cars are deserted and traffic is at a standstill.

Almost all NYC and NJ trains were not running today, after the historic massive flooding of these systems occurred quickly. Numerous commuters were rescued from flooded subways as underground stations flooded and trapped them, many waiting as long as 3 or more hours.

Power outages at this time are hovering around 52,000.

Out of the entire NYC subway system early today, only a few were functional. The 7, L, R, and SIR lines were active on a very delayed timeline, with improvements announced throughout the day.