Nearly 50 dead in Northeast after floods; high waters to last into weekend

Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Close to 50 people in the Northeast have died due to major flooding caused by the weather system that was Hurricane Ida, authorities said Friday amid cleanup efforts and high waters that are expected to last into the weekend.

Officials said about 4.5 million people in New York, Pennsylvania and other states are covered under flood warnings on Friday, mostly in New Jersey where floodwaters are overflowing rivers, creeks and streams.

The severe rainfall and the resulting flooding across the Northeast is responsible for more than 40 deaths, officials said. The exact number is unclear, but a number of additional deaths were added overnight on Thursday.

ABC News and CNN reported 48 dead and The New York Times reported at least 45.

"We're still not out of the woods." New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told NBC's Today on Friday. "Our death toll has climbed to 25 overnight and we have at least six missing across the state."

Officials say some flooded waterways will remain above flood-stage into the weekend, but noted that others have started to recede.

Authorities were still making water rescues throughout New York City late Thursday, which was deluged with heavy rains on Wednesday.

"[We] rescued hundreds of people citywide during the storm, removing occupants from trapped vehicles on flooded roadways and removing New Yorkers from subway stations," Fire Department of New York department spokesman Frank Dwyer told ABC News.

Newark Liberty International Airport, one of three major airports in the New York City area, said nearly 400 flights were canceled on Thursday and about two dozen were canceled on Friday, according to FlightAware.

In Connecticut, utility Eversource reported 1,200 power outages statewide on Friday. Almost 8,000 were without electricity in New York by early Friday, along with more than 20,000 in Pennsylvania and 10,000 in New Jersey, according to poweroutage.us.