Ida In NJ: Biden Set To Tour Flooding Devastation On Tuesday

NEW JERSEY — President Joe Biden is scheduled to tour flood damage from Tropical Storm Ida in New Jersey and in New York on Tuesday, as the cleanup continues.

The death toll from the flooding caused by the deluge of rainfall stands at 25 as of Saturday. That number does not include a pair of missing college students who are believed to have been swept away in flood waters.

Dive teams were searching for the pair, Nidhi Rana, a Seton Hall student, and Ayush Rana, a Montclair State student, who were last seen about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday getting out of their car near a storm drain that empties into the Passaic River.

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On Saturday, those teams called off the search for the two, CBS New York reported.

The Passaic River, which crested Friday evening, remained more than 2 feet above major flood stage on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Phil Murphy, who toured flood damage in Piscataway on Saturday said Biden will tour the flooding devastation in Manville, where a home exploded and another burned down Thursday because firefighters were unable to reach the home due to the flooding.

"We’re grateful for the President’s leadership and support as we recover from this storm," Murphy tweeted Saturday.

Biden granted a major disaster declaration in New Jersey on Thursday as the devastation quickly became apparent. Three tornadoes have been confirmed, and multiple rivers reached major flood stage, including the Passaic and Raritan rivers. Only the Passaic remained above major flood stage Saturday, but the Raritan, which crested at 27.66 feet after Manville received 10 inches of rain, has receded below 7 feet in the borough, according to the National Weather Service.

Debris and damage continues to block many roads; Bridgewater police said roads remain closed throughout the township.

Murphy on Friday announced $10 million in aid to small businesses would be made available to help businesses devastated by the flooding.

The remnants of Ida tore through New Jersey on Wednesday, sparking three confirmed tornadoes in Gloucester and Burlington counties, and deluged northern towns and counties under extreme rainfall. Flemington, in Hunterdon County, had the highest reported rainfall total at 11 inches, according to the National Weather Service, but several towns in Middlesex and Somerset counties reported receiving 8 to more than 9 inches of rain.

Multiple fundraisers have been set up to help Somerset County families affected by the flooding and devastation caused by Ida. Read more: Fundraisers, Donations Set Up To Help Somerset Co. Flood Victims

In South Jersey, cleanup from the three tornadoes that hit the state sparked by Ida continues. The National Weather Service released details on the Burlington County tornado that crossed the Delaware River.

That tornado was classified as an EF-1 and packed winds up to 90 mph, the weather service said. it uprooted and snapped about 30 trees in one spot, but there were no injuries or deaths.

Read more: 3 Tornadoes Confirmed In NJ Following Ida's Historic Wrath