Report by NJ Spotlight

The costs of NJ’s violent encounter with the remnants of Hurricane Ida — both human and economic — continued to rise today, 36 hours after the last raindrop fell.

The storm is now being blamed for 25 deaths, according to Gov. Phil Murphy — all in the northern half of the state, where rainfall totals routinely ran to eight inches.

The locations of the dead were one each in Bergen, Mercer and Passaic counties, as well as four in Essex, six in Hunterdon, three in Middlesex, four in Somerset and five in Union, including four whose bodies were discovered in the flooded basement of an apartment complex in Elizabeth.

There were no deaths associated with any of the three tornados that touched down in the state, including a now-confirmed EF-3 that devastated a suburban neighborhood in Gloucester County. (See National Weather Service chart above.)

In addition, six people are still missing, the governor said — three in Passaic, two in Somerset, and one in Essex.

See NJ Spotlight News for more coverage, including a video report on efforts to shelter displaced people.  

Ida’s economic impact is still being tallied, both here and all along the cyclone’s path through the nation; insurance experts are preliminarily estimating that $15 billion to $18 billion in claims are likely.

During a visit today to the flooded downtown of Millburn in Essex County, Murphy announced the creation of a $10 million fund providing grants of up to $5,000 to Ida-damaged businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Murphy stressed that it was only a preliminary step, designed to give small businesses immediate access to aid.

The governor also announced that the state has secured a federal disaster declaration for all 21 counties, a necessary step toward securing federal assistance.

Latest Ida coverage:

• Displaced storm victims seek shelter in Ida’s messy aftermath
• Tornado wreaks havoc on South Jersey farms
• In Millburn, residents pitch in to help businesses with cleanup
• Building back better, a race against time
• NJ launches website with Ida resources and information
• Business Report: Small businesses damaged by flooding can apply soon for EDA grants

For some NJ residents, the clean-up remains on hold as the waters of one the state’s most flood-prone rivers had yet to crest Friday.

Major flood levels were still being reported early this evening along the banks of the Passaic River in Passaic and Morris counties.

Federal flood gauges in Pine Brook and Little Falls had yet to show water levels dropping, with the crest in both locations not expected to occur until Saturday.

Levels fell along the Millstone River, a tributary of the Raritan, although two gauges were still showing moderate flood levels at 5 p.m.

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