Masses of water in New York: “The car began to swim”

Huge masses of water, flooded subway stations, power outages – and at least seven deaths: The foothills of Hurricane “Ida” hit New York hard in a very short time.

It happened within minutes. The water was already reaching the hood. It was rising so fast on the streets of Staten Island that the driver was left with no choice. “I had to climb out the window,” said one man. “At first I wanted to stay seated and wait for the fire department. But then the water rose so rapidly. And the car began to swim.”

Masses of water in subway shafts

At least seven New Yorkers failed to escape the masses of water. Among them was a two-year-old boy who was found dead from an apartment with two adults. Within an hour, basement apartments, cellars and subway shafts had turned into life-threatening traps.

Thousands of passengers are stuck in wagons

Huge amounts of water rushed from the ceilings and walls towards the people on the tracks and thundered down the stairs. They saved themselves via emergency exits. Thousands of passengers were stuck in the wagons for a long time. Large parts of the subway network are still idle. You are completely flooded. Many people are desperately trying to get to work.

A woman wades through knee-high water in the Bronx, shoes in hand: “What should I do? Everyone is fine here. There is just so much water everywhere. I have to go to work. I can’t afford it. And if I do I can dry myself off, “she says.

“5000 households without electricity”

Rescue workers pump out basements, clear trees and, above all, help secure the many hanging high-voltage lines. “Over 5000 households are without electricity,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. This is a hard blow from Hurricane “Ida”. De Blasio urged New Yorkers to avoid unnecessary car journeys in order to free the escape routes. He had previously declared a state of emergency.

De Blasio: “How huge”

Sometimes 80 millimeters of rain fell in an hour. Such amounts of water in a short time – he has never experienced it: “Unbelievable these amounts. And they were not predicted. That is sobering. It shows how unpredictable the weather can be. How enormous, how fast,” said de Blasio.

In many parts of the city the water has already drained away. But New Yorkers remain skeptical: The most recent torrential rain was just two weeks ago. This one was more intense. Many ask: when is the next one coming?