SIX people have been killed as Biblical downpours and tornadoes hit northeastern USA first ever flood emergency is declared in New York City.
Powerful remnants of Hurricane Ida saw New York City's first ever flood emergency declared as motorists were left stranded and people trapped in basements and overwhelmed subways.
A 66-year-old Brooklyn man was discovered dead in the basement of his Cypress Hills apartment last night, while woman in her 40s was also found dead at about 1am in her apartment on Grand Central Parkway.
A 22-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman were both found dead in the basement of their home on 183rd Street near 90th Avenue in Queens.
Mayor Bill De Blasio and Governor Katie Hochul of New York City declared a state of emergency for the metropolitan area as well as New Jersey after flood warnings were put in place for the first time ever.
Read our New York Flash Floods live blog for the latest updates…
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WHAT IS LA NINA EFFECT AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT HURRICANE SEASON?
Although the severity of the storms are likely exacerbated by climate change, the the world's weather system is currently in the midst of La Nina effect.
La Nina, which means 'little girl' in Spanish, is a meteorological phenomenon which generally happens every two to seven years.It literally means "a cold event" and means the trade winds (winds that blow east to west) push warm air towards Europe and Asia.
These winds in turn push a polar jet stream down from the Arctic across Canada to the north east of the U.S. and a dry wind across the south.
As a result the western side of the Atlantic tends to experience a more severe hurricane season and the south west of the U.S. may experience more drought.
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NORTH EAST U.S. BEING BATTERED BY STORM SEASON
The National Weather Service had predicted flooding from what remained of Hurricane Ida, saying steep terrain and even city streets were particularly vulnerable to a band of severe weather that extended to Massachusetts, where tornado warnings were issued early Thursday.
Tropical Storm Henri hit the region a little more than a week ago, causing flooding and leaving the region saturated and more vulnerable to this week's torrents.
Tropical Storm Larry was strengthening and moving quickly westward after forming off the coast of Africa earlier Wednesday. Forecasters predicted it would rapidly intensify in a manner similar to Ida, becoming a major hurricane with top wind speeds of 120 mph (193 kph) by Saturday.
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MORE THAN 80MM OF RAIN FELL IN JUST 60 MINUTES
More than 80mm of rain fell in New York's iconic Central Park in just 60 minutes – beating the previous record of 49mm set by Storm Henri last month
Flights have been suspended at New York City's Newark Airport and many railway lines are disrupted.
New York mayor Bill de Blasio has declared a city-wide state of emergency.
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WHAT HAS BILL DE BLASIO SAID?
The mayor of New York City has declared a state of emergency after the city saw flash floods which have killed at least six people across the north eastern U.S.
Bill de Blasio said: "I'm declaring a state of emergency in New York City tonight.
"We're enduring a historic weather event tonight with record-breaking rain across the city, brutal flooding and dangerous conditions on our roads.
"Please stay off the streets tonight and let our first responders and emergency services get their work done.
"If you're thinking of going outside, don't. Stay off the subways. Stay off the roads. Don't drive into these heavy waters.
"Stay inside."
- John Hall
TENNIS CANCELLED
It also prompted dozens of matches to be postponed at the US Open.
"Play suspended between Diego Schwartzman and Kevin Anderson at Louis Armstrong Stadium–which has a roof–because of wind and rain," Sports Columnist Helene Elliott tweeted at 9.33pm.
"It's nasty out there. And in there, too, apparently. Stay safe!"
- John Hall
MULTI-STATE CHAOS
Across the rest of the country, Ida has already claimed eight lives and wreaked havoc across Pennsylvania, Maryland and Louisiana.
On Tuesday two power workers — Eli Nathaniel Babb and Layton River Ellison, both 19 — in Alabama were electrocuted while working to restore power, the DailyMail reported.
A 60-year-old man was the first to die on Monday after a tree fell on him, another died in New Orleans after trying to drive his vehicle through flooded streets.
And two people died tragically in Mississippi when a highway collapsed and another in Buchanan County, Virginia
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NEED HELP
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency after midnight "to help New Yorkers affected by tonight's storm," she announced on Twitter.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey also experienced flooding and reported all flight activity to be suspended at around 10.30pm.
- John Hall
'GET OFF THE STREETS'
Tornadoes in New Jersey crashed through buildings destroying at least nine homes and a major highway.
One resident who saw the tornado rip through his neighbor's home said: "I heard the rumble and I seen stuff flying and I told my wife and kids to get in the basement.
"And I looked out the window and I seen their house going. First thing I did was run over to their house to make sure they were alright."
"We’re enduring a historic weather event tonight with record breaking rain across the city, brutal flooding and dangerous conditions on our roads," de Blasio tweeted.
Minutes later he urged: "Please stay off the streets tonight and let our first responders and emergency services get their work done."
- John Hall
SUBWAYS OVERWHELMED
Buildings at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, were flooded with 15,000 power outages in New York and more than 81,000 in New Jersey.
One Twitter video showed deluge gushing onto a subway station platform, another showed a train ploughing through huge waterfalls pouring from the platform ceiling and roofs were shown torn from buildings in southern New Jersey.
- John Hall
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Mayor Bill De Blasio and Governor Katie Hochul of New York City declared a state of emergency for the metropolitan area as well as New Jersey after flood warnings were put in place for the first time ever.
All non-essential road travel was banned until 5am Thursday while subway services were crippled as the nine inches deluge of rain swept the city.
- John Hall
MULTIPLE DEATHS
Emergency crews were rescuing dozens of stranded motorists and people trapped in a basement were being rescued by divers after a building collapse in Queens.
A 66-year-old Brooklyn man was discovered dead in the basement of his Cypress Hills apartment at around half midnight on Thursday, the New York post reported.
A woman in her 40s was also found dead at about 1am in her apartment on Grand Central Parkway.
A 22-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman were both found dead in the basement of their home on 183rd Street near 90th Avenue in Queens.
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