The death toll from the massive flooding which struck New York and New Jersey from the remnants of Hurricane Ida has risen to at least 24, authorities reported Thursday afternoon.
The storm brought heavy rains that caused flooding in large areas of New York, while the strong winds also caused trees and power poles to collapse, leaving a long trail of destruction along the storm's path.
According to a report by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, nine people, including a two-year-old toddler, were found dead.
The New York Police Chief told reporters that all the dead apparently lived in basement apartments that were flooded due to the heavy rains, causing them to drown.
One of the casualties was Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Weissmandel, who died while driving to Mount Kisco, New York during the flooding on Wednesday evening, Yeshiva World News reported.
In New Jersey, authorities reported an additional 14 deaths as a direct result of Hurricane Ida, including five bodies which were found inside one residential complex. The official cause of death was not given, but a spokeswoman for the mayor said the fire station near the residence was covered with over seven feet of water, adding that "rescue forces are conducting searches to try and locate more victims."
Other states have also reported homes and cars destroyed in Hurricane Ida, with train traffic between Boston and Philadelphia also halted in the meantime. In Pennsylvania, rescue workers evacuated thousands of people after the water reached dangerous levels that threatened to flood homes in the town of Johnstown.