Torrential rain and floods caused by the powerful storm Ida have claimed more than 40 lives across the northeastern region of the US, according to authorities. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced on Thursday afternoon that 23 people died as a result of the storm, which made landfall inLouisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The majority of these deaths were individuals who got caught in their vehicles by flooding and were overtaken by the water," Murphy tweeted. At least 12 people died in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Among them, four women, three men and a two-year-old boy died in the basements of residential homes in separate flooding incidents in Queens, according to an NBC report, citing New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea.