What to Know
- A body was found in Hudson County Monday, the third to be pulled from the waterway in about a week's time as searches continue for people who went missing during Ida's intense downpours that led to widespread flooding
- Search crews have scoured the Passaic River in hopes of finding any survivors, but with nearly two weeks gone by since Ida's terrifying flash floods, rescuers know the chances of finding the missing alive are slim
- More than 40 people in NJ and NY died of Ida-related flooding, officials have said, at least 30 of which were in NJ
As the death toll from Ida in New Jersey rose to 30 on Monday, it could increase again after the discovery of another body in the Passaic River.
The body was found in Hudson County on Monday, the third to be pulled from the waterway in about a week's time as searches continue for people who went missing during Ida's intense downpours that led to widespread flooding.
Police have not identified the most recent body pulled from the river, and did not confirm whether or not the body is related to the storm.
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Investigators are still searching for Donna Lomagro, who was swept away by currents in Woodland Park. The 56-year-old was nearly rescued by good Samaritans the night her car was flooded, but the current was too strong. With nearly two weeks gone by since Ida's terrifying flash floods, rescuers know the chances of finding the missing alive are slim.
The two bodies recovered last week in New Jersey were identified by the medical examiner's office as the two missing college students who vanished together. Nidi Rana and Ayush Rana, both Seton Hall students who lived in Passaic, hadn't been seen since floodwaters overtook their car near the swollen river during the height of the storm.
Passaic Mayor Hector Lora confirmed to NBC New York the office's identification one day after the second body was found near Route 21 and Clay Street. The previous night, crews made the grim discovery of the first student less than 4 miles away in Kearny.
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It was barely 12 hours earlier that detectives and a medical examiner were at the Frank Vincent Marina in Kearny, where Hudson County authorities acknowledged that a body found that day could be one of three people swept away last week.
Search teams using sophisticated underwater sonar have been scouring the Passaic River day in and day out, looking for any of the missing people.
Gov. Phil Murphy said that 11 of the state’s 21 counties are now part of the federal government’s major disaster declaration, up from the original six counties that were included.
Both New Jersey and New York, especially the city, were slammed by Ida's monstrous flash floods and record-breaking rainfall days after the storm made landfall as a hurricane in Louisiana. More than 40 people in the two states died of storm-related causes, the vast majority of them in New Jersey.
Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, said residents affected by the storm can go to disasterassistance.gov to begin filing a claim.
