Water takes over the subway in New York 1:10
(CNN) -
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday called the massive overnight flooding in New York state and city, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, "worthy of the record books." and "absolutely impressive in scale".
Minute by minute: Several killed in New York City and New Jersey by remnants of Ida
"Unprecedented is almost an understatement," Hochul told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on "New Day" this Thursday morning.
The deadly and crippling flood marks the first disaster that Hochul, the state's former lieutenant governor, has had to respond to since taking over as governor less than two weeks ago, following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo.
The newly appointed governor declared a state of emergency early Thursday morning, and New York City issued a flash flood emergency for the first time in its history.
Shocking images of cars abandoned underwater in New Jersey by remnants of Ida
Several millimeters of rain fell per hour causing severe flooding that paralyzed New York City's railroads and subway service and left many unable to reach their destinations.
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"Stay home"
Hochul urged commuters to stay home and "give us some time to fully restore the trains" after the "unprecedented" flooding.
In addition, he warned New Yorkers not to venture out onto the streets, saying it is "dangerous" due to downed power lines and debris.
"There is going to be a massive cleanup. I would continue to urge people to stay home. Check your neighbors, call everyone, make sure they are okay, because people are stunned by what happened last night," Hochul told CNN.
New York flood emergency 4:26 am
The governor said she will inspect the damage later Thursday and offer assistance where city and county leaders need it.
In addition, he added that the state of New York is "prepared" and "used to disasters, but you cannot anticipate how much rain fell from the sky last night."
CNN's Kristina Sgueglia, Madeline Holcombe and Jason Hanna contributed to this report.
Floods