Hurricane Ida continues to rage in the northeastern regions of the United States, causing heavy rains. More than 40 people have already died because of floods and other poor weather conditions, and the authorities reveal new damages and losses. This was reported by The Guardian.
“People died mostly in their cars when they were overtaken and overturned by the flood”, – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said.
In New York, police reported thirteen deaths, including one in a car and 11 in flooded apartments. These apartments are located in basements, which were sold as “relatively affordable housing” in one of the most expensive national real estate markets.
The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday warned of a high probability of “significant and life-threatening sudden large floods on the rivers of the Mid-Atlantic and New England”. The forecast came true, and the storm hit the region on Wednesday night. Were it not for the timely forecast and the measures taken by the authorities, the casualties would have been much higher and the losses would have been more significant.
(This story shows once again the importance of adapting the government and society of every country to climate change. The editorial board of the Svit newspaper prepares for publication an interview on Ukraine’s readiness to face climate changes with UN expert in this field, Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics Andriy Demydenko.)
The Guardian quotes President Joe Biden comments on the impact of the hurricane: “This extreme storm and climate crisis is already here. We must prepare as best we can. We have to act.”
“I have no doubt that these words are sincere. But the main thing is what should happen later. After all, this event should force both the United States and the world to be more active in preventing climate changes and adapting to them. Despite such statements, Mr. Biden’s administration, for example, has resumed oil and gas exploration auction sales, earning sharp but fair criticism from numerous environmental groups and organizations. I also hope that both in the United States and in the world as a whole, the humiliating and insulting attacks on Greta Thunberg and other environmental activists will reduce, who force the government to act here and now, protecting the environment and our future”, – the Deputy Chairman of EcoPravo-Kyiv Borys Vasylkivsky gave his comments to the Svit newspaper.
The hurricane affected New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland. New Orleans with three thousand population was left without electric power. In New York, cascades of water broke through the underground tunnel, trapping 17 trains, and traffic was stopped until the next morning.
Streets, roads and highways were flooded. Numerous videos show people standing on the seats of flooded cars. Fortunately, most of them were successfully evacuated from the flood zone by rescuers.
In addition, the Ida has led to a significant increase in river levels in the mid-Atlantic and New England.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy warned citizens about the dangers of electric shock: “If you see wires immersed in water or a tree that has fallen on a power line, do not come close and do not try to correct the situation yourself. Notify the relevant services and leave it to the professionals. “
Oleg LYSTOPAD, Svit newspaper, №33-34, September 2021
HURRICANE IDA: WHAT WE KNOW
Hurricane Ida hit the US coast exactly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people in 2005.
In the evening of August 29, 2021, winds of about 230 km/h covered Louisiana, floods and inundations were registered in coastal areas. The hurricane reached the fourth degree out of five possible and was recognized the fifth most powerful hurricane in the American history.
New Orleans was left without light after the hurricane. A curfew was imposed in the city.