Death Toll Rises: Historic Flooding Grips New York City as Remnants of Hurricane Ida Pummel Northeast

Relentless rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida sent New York City and parts of New Jersey into a state of emergency Wednesday night. 

The rainfall was so intense that the National Weather Service in the city declared its first-ever flash flood emergencies as dramatic video showed roads and highways completely underwater.

One video showed New York City's 28th Street as a cascade of water gushed into the train station. Passengers appeared stunned as water poured all around them. 

Not too far away, firefighters were rescuing a man from a car that was stuck in deep floodwaters. 

The scene in the Bronx was equally stunning. More than a dozen cars were underwater on a highway.

"I was driving down and then I was taking my time then I see the cars start floating," said one motorist.

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New York City's Central Park received more than three inches of rain in one hour. The National Weather Service said that made it the wettest hour since the city started to keep records back in 1870.

There were anxious moments for one tenant on East 22nd Street in Manhattan as floodwaters suddenly just appeared in her apartment.

Moments later, a gush of water came rushing in.

At than 20 deaths were linked to flooding in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Wednesday. Some 280,000 people are still without power.

In New Jersey, there were even more dramatic moments as a driver captured an image of a tornado touchdown in Mullica Hill. 

Multiple tornadoes hit the area destroying several homes and businesses.

Meanwhile, in Houma, Louisiana, disaster relief teams with CBN's Operation Blessing (OB) are partnering with Life Church in that state's ongoing clean-up efforts after Hurricane Ida came barreling through over the weekend. 

The OB teams delivered a truckload of water, tarps, other disaster relief supplies to areas hardest hit by the hurricane. Clean-up teams will bring in a mobile kitchen, more generators, and other items in the days ahead.