Photo: AFP
Record rainfall and unprecedented flooding were blamed for two deaths in a partial home collapse in Jamaica, Queens, early Thursday morning.
Floodwaters caused the side of the 183rd Street home to cave in above a basement apartment, killing a mother and her son. NBC New York reports that divers were sent in to recover their bodies.
The FDNY confirmed that firefighters rescued two other people at the same address after a wall partially collapsed. A third woman died at a residence on Grand Central Parkway after calling police to report flooding.
Mayor Bill de Blasio's office declared a state of emergency in New York City late-Wednesday night, citing the "historic weather event" that was causing dangerous conditions on the roads and in the subways.
City commuters were advised to stay home Thursday if possible, as crews worked to clean up the streets. Subway service was still "extremely limited" by the morning commute, according to the MTA.
The remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped as much as 10 inches of rain in some areas. The storm is blamed for at least a dozen Tri-State area deaths and millions in damages.
Over two dozen New York and New Jersey counties remained under a flood watch. Officials say it may take a few days for local rivers to crest.