Ida death toll in New Jersey rises to 30, governor says

The death toll from Ida reached 30 in New Jersey, up one since last week, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

Murphy gave the updated figure during a news conference Monday, but didn’t give more details about the fatality from the storm that dumped rain on the state and swelled waterways.

The update is the latest since last week when authorities said they found two bodies in the Passaic River.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida killed at least 50 people in six Eastern states after it brought historic rain that led to deadly flooding and sudden storm waters.

Murphy also said that 11 of the state’s 21 counties are now part of the federal government’s major disaster declaration, up from the original six counties that were included.

Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, said residents affected by the storm can go to disasterassistance.gov to begin filing a claim.

Gas prices tick up in NJ, dip around nation at large

Gas prices ticked up slightly in New Jersey and dipped a bit around the nation at large with the end of the summer driving season.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey on Friday was $3.21, up a penny from a week ago. Drivers were paying an average of $2.22 a gallon a year ago at this time.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.17, down a penny from last week. Drivers were paying $2.20 a gallon on average a year ago at this time.

Analysts say the demand increased slightly over the Labor Day holiday weekend, but total domestic stocks decreased as refineries recover from Hurricane Ida. With oil prices remaining near $70 a barrel, they expect the national average for a gallon of gasoline to remain above $3.

- The Associated Press