Tornado hits New Jersey as Hurricane Ida pours on North-east US
NEW YORK (NYTIMES) – The remnants of Hurricane Ida barrelled into the New York city region on Wednesday (Sept 1) evening with furious, wind-driven rain that flooded subway lines, splintered homes in New Jersey, raised a tornado warning for the Bronx and delayed the United States Open in Queens when the rain came into the roofed stadium sideways.
The National Weather Service said it had recorded rainfall rates of at least 7cm to 12 cm in an hour across north-east New Jersey and parts of New York City, which was under a flash flood emergency for the first time.
Heavy rains delayed some train lines in Manhattan as crews worked to drain water, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said. Around 9 pm, the weather service issued a tornado warning for parts of the Bronx, after a radar indicated a tornado had formed in the area.
At times, strong wind gusts blew the rain sideways, enough to temporarily delay a US Open match at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday night, as rain made its way into the stadium despite its roof.
The storm system, advancing on a path to southern New England, brought drenching rain that could lead to life-threatening flooding, meteorologists said.
As the stormy weather moved north-east on Wednesday, it prompted a string of tornado warnings across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, including a warning for Philadelphia after the National Weather Service said a “large and extremely dangerous” tornado had been observed south of the city, near Gloucester City, New Jersey.
“You are in a life-threatening situation,” the service said in a statement. “Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter.”
Images and video circulating on social media on Wednesday showed homes that had been damaged, as well as felled trees in the Harrison Township area in Gloucester County. The Harrison Township Police Department was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday night.
The weather service also shared a video of a large tornado moving over the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, which connects Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Wenonah, another small borough in Gloucester County, in southern New Jersey, was heavily flooded and “suffered extensive damage following this evening’s tornado event”, mayor John R. Dominy wrote on Facebook. He urged residents to call 911 for emergencies and to stay home or in a safe place.
“Do not venture out. Many trees are unstable. Third, please do not approach downed wires as many may be live,” he wrote. “With nightfall, it is difficult to see and dangerous to either walk or drive. Many of our streets are impassable.”
He said the authorities were assessing the damage and “we do not have an estimate of when power will be restored”. The storm had caused 57,519 power outages statewide and “these numbers are climbing”, governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey said on Twitter.
Residents in Lambertville, New Jersey, roughly 64km north of Philadelphia, posted photos that showed streets inundated with brown water, cars submerged up to their tires and flooded basements.
Some parts of the North-east faced dual threats as several flash flood warnings were issued throughout the night. A flash flood emergency was issued for north-eastern Chester County, north-western Delaware County and Montgomery County in south-eastern Pennsylvania.
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the weather service said for those counties. “Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.
The weather service said it had received reports of rainfall totalling 11cm to 17cm, with more rainfall expected.
Earlier in the day, after a tornado watch was issued on Wednesday for south-eastern Pennsylvania, most of New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Maryland, meteorologists with the weather service in Baltimore confirmed that a tornado had touched down near Annapolis, Maryland. They said they had not been able to measure its speed or assess the damage.
Annapolis city spokesman Mitchelle Stephenson said that the tornado had left about 2,500 residents without power, and that the city had received reports of fallen trees. The fire and police departments had closed streets to assess the damage, according to Ms Stephenson, who said that no injuries had been reported as at 3:30 pm. Video on social media showed strong, fast winds and roadways obstructed by downed utility poles, signs and trees.
The weather service in Baltimore warned that high winds could cause damage to houses and mobile homes, and asked residents in the south-eastern part of the state to take cover in a basement or on the lowest available floor of a sturdy building.
The governors of Virginia and West Virginia declared states of emergency on Tuesday night before the system’s arrival.
Widespread river flooding could occur in southern Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, particularly in the Monongahela, Potomac, Susquehanna, Delaware and lower Hudson river basins, forecasters said.
In central Pennsylvania, Wilmore Dam was “overtopping” with approximately 91cm of rainwater, said Mr John Banghoss, a meteorologist with the weather service in State College, Pennsylvania. More rain water could lead to dam damage, he said.
Describing the situation as “life-threatening”, the weather service instructed the 42,000 residents in the area of central Pennsylvania that includes Johnstown, Ferndale and Dale to “move immediately to higher ground”.
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