YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of HaRav Shmuel Dovid Weissmandel ZT”L, who was Niftar while driving during the floods last night. The Niftar was travelling on the NY State Thruway from Monsey to his home in Mount Kisco, when he encountered flood waters near the Tappan Zee Bridge. Unable to drive any further, he contacted his family to try and rescue him. His son, Moshe Elya, posted on his WhatsApp status at around midnight looking for for anyone with an SUV in that area to help evacuate his father. Unfortunately, he was Niftar before anyone was sable to rescue him. It is unknown if he drowned in the waters, or he suffered a fatal heart attack in the vehicle. The Niftar was 69 years old, and was the son of Hagaon HaRav Michoel Ber Weissmandle ZT”L.

The attached video footage shows Hatzolah members, in waist-deep water, entering a shul in Williamsburg to rescue damaged Sifrei Torah. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The post DRAMATIC FOOTAGE: Sifrei Torah In Williamsburg Damaged In Shul Submerged Underwater Rescued By Hatzolah [VIDEO & PHOTOS] appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

Record-breaking rainfall led to historic flooding Wednesday evening in New York and New Jersey, with officials declaring rare emergencies warning people to stay away from dangerous flood waters to protect their lives. Just after midnight on Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in New York. She urged people to stay of the roads. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issued a state of emergency in response to the storm late Wednesday. “Tropical Storm Ida is severely impacting all areas of our state,” he said. “The safety of our residents is our main priority, and we urge everyone to be informed of local weather conditions and to stay off the roads.” BREAKING: I’m declaring a STATE OF EMERGENCY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY in response to Tropical Storm Ida.

Multiple tornadoes have touched down in New Jersey as the remnants of Hurricane Ida ripped through the state Wednesday evening amid numerous flash floor, severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. The National Weather Service said an apparent twister caused “significant damage” in the Mullica Hill area of Harrison Township around 6:21 p.m, another in the area of Cherry Hill, and heavy damage reported in Wenonah, at 6:27 p.m. RECEIVE BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A court-appointed monitor said Wednesday there is “substantial evidence” New York City police officers have underreported the number of times they’ve stopped and frisked people, likely skewing statistics tracking use of a tactic long scrutinized over racial bias. “There is substantial evidence suggesting that many NYPD officers did not submit reports documenting all of their stops of civilians in years 2016 to 2019,” monitor Peter Zimroth said in the latest in a series of oversight reports filed in federal court. “These undocumented stops may undermine the reliability of statistical analyses to identify racially disparate stop report patterns and practices in NYC,” Zimroth said.

Rainfall rates of at least 3 to 5 inches an hour in northeast New Jersey and portions of New York City are being reported, as the remnants of Hurricane Ida move through the tri-state area. Newark Airport (EWR) reported 3.24 inches between 8 and 9pm alone, with a half an inch of rain being reported in just 6 minutes, the National Weather Service reported. Severe flash flooding is occurring across the area. The attached videos are just a sample of extreme flooding around the NY/NJ area. YWN has received numerous reports of people standing on roofs of cars which are totally submerged under water. Please use extreme caution if you must drive. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A 9-year-old boy was killed and 11 other people were injured in a fire in a residential building in Queens on Wednesday, authorities said. The fire started in the basement of a three-story building in Ozone Park at about 2 a.m., a Fire Department spokesperson said. Nine-year-old Remi Miguel Gomez Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Ten additional building occupants and one firefighter were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening, the Fire Department said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (AP)

Two Brooklyn men were arrested Tuesday on trespassing and disorderly conduct charges in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Antonio Ferrigno Jr., 26, and Francis Connor, 23, were charged with being among nearly 600 individuals who have been charged in the insurrection that resulted when supporters of former President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol. Some of them pushed past police barriers, assaulted officers and caused lawmakers to flee in a bid to overturn an election in which Joe Biden won the presidency. Ferrigno and Connor were released on their own recognizance after an initial appearance before a Brooklyn magistrate judge, who ordered them not to have contact with each other or any co-defendants, co-conspirators or potential victims or witnesses.

NYPD Brooklyn South Assistant Chief Michael Kemper at a “High Holy Days” meeting in Flatbush praising the work of Shomrim. The meeting was arranged by the FJCC. Chief Kemper was recently assigned to Brooklyn South, which covers Flatbush, Boro Park, Crown Heights and other areas. Kemper is no stranger to the Jewish community, as he has previously served (for four years) as the Commanding Officer of the NYPD’s 90th Precinct in Williamsburg. An in-depth article about today’s meeting will appear later.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida pushed into the Tri-State area early Wednesday morning, with showers and periods of rain expected throughout the day. The roughest weather associated with this system is expected to hit at the peak of the evening rush. Rain is expected to continue into Thursday morning, at least. Flash flood watches are in effect for virtually the entire tri-state area, including all five boroughs of New York City, through much of Thursday, while a coastal flood advisory is in effect for eastern Suffolk County Wednesday night. Flash flood watches are already in effect through Thursday afternoon for the entire region, with some rain already starting in many areas early Wednesday.