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On Thursday morning, residents of the mid-Atlantic states woke up to a trail of destruction left by Ida, some of which is still ongoing. Tornadoes had hit Maryland and the Philadelphia suburbs, while the rain-swollen rivers continued to rise.
In the Philadelphia area, where tens of thousands of people were without power, part of a major freeway running through the center of the city was overwhelmed. The Schuylkill River had reached the stage of ‘major’ flooding overnight, covering nearby roads, making them impassable and leaving cars through town. almost completely under water.
Apartment buildings sat like islands in newly formed lakes.
“We’re still doing water rescues all over town; we’ve been doing it continuously for 3pm now, ”Philadelphia Fire Marshal Adam Thiel said at a media briefing. “We know that the floods have reached levels not seen in 100 years,” he added. “And it will potentially be a record flooding.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney pointed out that although the storm broke all records, it was part of a disaster pattern caused by climate change.
“As the storm continues to wreak havoc in the region as it does in other parts of the country,” the mayor said, “we must also note that extreme weather events like Ida are not isolated incidents. They are a another indication of the worsening climate crisis.
Ron Harper, 87, said Thursday morning he was confined to his apartment on the 14th floor of a building near the swollen Schuylkill River. The building management told him that they would stop operating the elevators there because the water continued to rise in a garage that serves the building.
“There are two levels of parking, and the water was rushing in – I could see when I was walking,” said Mr. Harper.
Some of the hardest hit areas were in the suburbs of Philadelphia. In Montgomery County, officials told a news briefing that “the magnitude and extent of damage from this storm has been vast,” with record flooding causing hundreds of water rescues and possible tornado. Three people have died in the county, officials said, including two apparently by drowning.
“After the rain last night, the Schuylkill River and Perkiomen Creek continue to rise,” said Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “I want to stress that they have not yet reached their peak. Both waterways have already broken all time records.
The National Weather Service reported that at least four tornadoes hit Maryland Thursday night and one near Mullica Hill, NJ
Annapolis spokesperson Mitchelle Stephenson said a tornado that landed near the city left about 2,500 residents without power and the city had received reports of fallen trees. The fire and police departments had closed the streets to assess the damage, according to Ms Stephenson, who said no injuries had been reported.
Video to social media showed strong and rapid winds and roads obstructed by electricity poles, panels and trees.
Forecasters were concerned about river flooding and the Wilmore Dam in central Pennsylvania “was sticking out” by about three feet of rainwater at one point, said John Banghoss, a meteorologist with the Meteorological Service of State College, Pennsylvania. About 42,000 residents have been ordered to relocate. to higher ground.
The report was provided by Jon hurdle, Isabella Grullón Paz, Eduardo Medina, Derrick Bryson Taylor, Ashley wong and Tiffany May.
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