New York State Governor Kathy Hochul declared her first state of emergency early Thursday as remnants of Hurricane Ida brought torrential rain and heavy flooding to the U.S. Northeast region.
"I am declaring a state of emergency to help New Yorkers affected by tonight's storm. Please stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel," Hochul tweeted.
The heavy rain was "far more than anyone really expected," and left the region in "a very dire situation," the governor was quoted by CNN as saying.
Urging people to stay off the roads, the National Weather Service in New York said, "We are seeing way too many reports of water rescues and stranded motorists."
Hochul's declaration came about an hour after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency in his city.
"We're enduring a historic weather event tonight with record-breaking rain across the city, brutal flooding and dangerous conditions on our roads," the mayor said Wednesday night.
Ida landed in Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday and has weakened to a tropical storm.
