State of emergency declared in NYC

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared a state of emergency on Wednesday night after heavy rainfall influenced by Ida batter the city.

Over 5,000 residents have reportedly lost power and the Mayor described it as “record breaking rain” which has caused “brutal flooding.”

de Blasio taking to Twitter urged residents to go back into their homes and avoid going out on the streets, and allow the first responders to carry out operations.

New York City has also issued a travel ban until 5AM for all non-emergency vehicles due to the flooding across the city.

Some people are stuck at the subways and rescuers are carrying out operations to get all of them evacuated.

According to the New York Fire Department, one person was killed in Queens after a building collapsed and another was hospitalized.

Officials are regularly urging people to turn around and stop travelling through flooded roads as the deep water is very dangerous.