It's early afternoon on the US east coast right now, and residents across several states are still assessing the damage from Tropical Storm Ida. Here are some of the latest pictures:

Image source, AFP

Image source, AFP

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

There has been extensive tornado damage and record rainfall in Philadelphia - with at least three deaths in the area around the Pennsylvanian city.

Rescue crews have been working throughout the day after up to 8in of rain was recorded in some parts of the city and surrounding areas.

Many roads are still closed and transportation severely affected.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says the three deaths were in Montgomery County, including one woman killed after a tree fell on her home.

Pennsylvania's biggest dairy farm was hit by a tornado, destroying silos and killing cattle, the paper reports.

Basement-dwelling is a fairly common feature in some parts of New York, including Queens, and at least eight of the victims of Storm Ida were found in them.

One neighbour told the New York Times she had received a call on Wednesday evening from a woman who lived in a basement.

“She said, ‘The water is coming in right now,’ and I say, ‘Get out! Get to the third floor!'

“The last thing I hear from them is, ‘The water is coming in from the window.’ And that was it.”

Three people were later found dead.

New York lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit out at the safety regulations for basements.

She tweeted: "Among the people MOST at risk during flash floods here are those living in off-the-books basement dwellings that don't meet the safety codes necessary to save lives.

"These are working class, immigrant, and low-income people & families."

As Ida swept through New York, one Brooklyn resident was clearly unhappy with the food options in their own fridge.

A viral video on Twitter shows a food delivery person wading through water well past their knees during the storm.

The footage drew condemnation from many quarters, with New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez telling people to raid their cabinets instead.

Food delivery company Grubhub told the BBC it was still trying to ascertain if it was one of their drivers in the video.

In a statement it said: "While we always appreciate the hard work drivers put in to get the job done, no delivery worker for any company or restaurant should ever take an action that would jeopardize their safety."

George Bailey from Queens in New York City has described to the BBC the damage Storm Ida has done to his home.

He says no other storm has come close to having the same impact.

More than 5in of water fell on the city in just a few hours leaving homes and subway stations under water.

In his address, Joe Biden said that "for now, 11 people in New York and New Jersey died because of the storm".

He also spoke of six more deaths of Americans "down south" because of Hurricane Ida.

But media groups reporting in the US have been struggling with the figures, coming up with deaths that have generally exceeded the president's number, at least for New York and New Jersey.

Reuters at the moment lists 14 there, but the New York Post has at least 18 and the New York Times at least 20.

As with many past hurricanes in the US, it will probably only be after the emergency services have done their work that the true devastation will be known.

Image source, Reuters

Here's a clip from the president's speech earlier, in which he lauded the residents of Mississippi and Louisiana as "resilient and resourceful", pledging to stand by them "for as long as it takes to recover and rebuild" after the hurricane.

He said the devastation wrought by Ida, in addition to wildfires in the western US, was proof that "the climate crisis is here".

Here are the main points from Joe Biden's speech at the White House a few minutes ago:

•A total of 11 people were confirmed dead in New York and New Jersey, in addition to six in Louisiana and Mississippi

•A million people are still without power in the southern US

•Unconfirmed reports suggest winds reached 170 mph

•6,000 National Guard troops have been mobilised to help with rescue and relief efforts

•Drones are being deployed to help assess damage, and the military and other agencies have been asked to provide imagery

•President Biden called on insurance companies to "not evade" their responsibility to their customers

•The Federal Emergency Management Agency has pushed out $77m (£55.7m) to the people of Louisiana alone

•Biden urged those in impacted areas to check what federal assistance they can get through disasterassistance.gov

•The president warned of a “climate crisis” and said the US “must be better prepared” in the future

Tara McKelvey
BBC News, Washington

In Washington and other cities in the Eastern Seaboard, people act as if weather does not affect them: protected by sturdy buildings, storms blow over. But the weather has intensified, clobbering even eastern cities.

Here at the White House, Biden spoke of New York, Louisiana, and other places affected by Hurricane Ida and its aftermath. Dressed in a light blue suit, he stood on a small stage, with four US flags. He had said during his campaign he would fight climate change, and now he, and the rest of us here, are seeing the effects of climate change unfold.

Outside, the weather was balmy, with a light breeze. But Biden spoke of storms that have upended cities and changed the direction of a river. He was trying to convey the message that whatever happens outside, he, and the rest of those at the White House, are prepared.

As the president ended his address, he said these storms had shown that improving US infrastructure was "one of the great challenges of our time. But I'm confident one we'll meet in the United States of America".

"And there's simply nothing - you heard me say before - nothing beyond our capacity, we work together.

"So for all those who are still in harm's way or all those struggling to deal with the aftermath of these storms and fires: God bless you. Keep the faith, everyone working day and night to look out for their fellow Americans is what this is about. We're going to get this done on time. Thank you."

The president's finished speaking, but we'll catch you up with a few more key things he said - including this on mobile phones:

Biden said "a lot of people lost cell phone service, because their particular carrier's tower went down, or got damaged" in Hurricane Ida.

He has urged cell phone companies to allow customers to use roaming services, "so that means that folks in the area should be able to get a signal".

"Think of the sons and the daughters, moms and dads and loved ones, trying to reach each other, and the feeling of fear, maybe something happened. That's just because... the cell phone's not working. Think of the millions of people reaching out for help."

Biden says he believes that Hurricane Ida, mass floods and raging wildfires are evidence of a “climate crisis”.

“We need to be better prepared. We need to act,” he says.

Biden says he will push Congress for action on his Build Back Better plan, which includes significant funding for energy grids and infrastructure.

He adds that the investment would make the country “more resilient” in the face of increasingly frequent flooding and other disasters.

“This is one of the greatest challenges of our time. But I’m confident we’ll meet it,” he says. “We’re the United States of America, and there is nothing beyond our capacity when we work together.”

Biden chides insurance companies for unwillingness to pay out in the midst of the storm damage, saying, "no-one fled this killer storm because they were looking for a vacation."

"We're hearing reports some insurance companies may deny coverage for additional Living Assistance expenses, unless the homeowner was under a mandatory evacuation order," he says - urging the firms to pay policy-holders for temporary housing and other needs.

"I'm calling on the private insurance companies right now - don't hide behind the fine print and technicalities [...] do the right thing."

He says Fema [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] has pushed out $77m to the people of Louisiana so far.

He says his message to the Gulf Coast is: "We are here for you," adding, "We're making sure the response is equitable."

He tells people to visit disasterassistance.gov for details of how to get help.

More than 6,000 members of the National Guard have been mobilised for rescue and recovery efforts across the southern US, President Biden says.

“For those who have lost their homes, states have been working with the American Red Cross to open 50 shelters across the Gulf Coast,” he adds.

“We need to get power restored and more fuel and water deployed,” Biden says.

Biden adds that the government will work “around the clock” to meet the needs of residents in impacted areas.

The president says new technologies are being used to accelerate the restoration of communications, such as cell phone services.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been instructed to use surveillance drones to assess Ida’s damage to energy infrastructure.

Similarly, the Pentagon and other agencies have been asked to provide satellite imagery.

"Drones and satellites can make the work faster by getting to places most desperately in need."

The president says he has also declared an emergency for a "raging wildfire" in California.

He says the fire in the Lake Tahoe basin has affected 200,000 acres, with some 35,000 structures hit and tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate.

President Biden says six people have been killed and a million homes left without power in Louisiana and Mississippi.

“While the catastrophic flooding wasn’t as severe as it was during Hurricane Katrina 16 years ago, Ida was so powerful it caused the Mississippi River, literally, to change direction,” he says.

Biden adds that thanks to significant federal investment in the levy system around New Orleans, the system “held” and worked.

He says unconfirmed reports suggest that winds reached 170 miles per hour.

He will be traveling to Louisiana on Friday to meet with the governor and other local officials, he says.

“My message to everyone affected is that we’re all in this together. The nation is here to help.”

Image source, Reuters

President Biden has begun speaking on the federal response to Hurricane Ida, the fifth largest in US history.

Biden said that a total of 11 people have so far been reported dead in New York and New Jersey.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all the first responders and everyone working through the night to save lives and get power back,” he said.

Biden added that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is “on the ground” and ready to provide any assistance available.

US President Joe Biden is expected to speak from the White House at any moment.

He is expected to address the assistance he will provide to the states impacted by Storm Ida.

We’re standing by to bring you the latest.

Chuck Schumer was also at the NYC news conference, where he said he believed that the recent storms were a result of climate change.

The US Senate majority leader said that “global warming is upon us.

“When you get two record rainfalls in a week, it’s not just a coincidence,” he said. “When you get all the changes that we have seen in the weather, that’s not a coincidence.”

The senator added he believes that climate “will get worse and worse and worse, unless we do something about it.”

• What is climate change?

Taking a step away from the NYC news conference which ended a short time ago - the BBC has obtained dramatic footage of floodwater pouring into 28th Street subway station in New York City.

Service on most of the iconic underground train system remains suspended across the city and people have shared on social media torrents of water cascading down steps and onto the tracks.

The head of the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Janno Lieber, said in a statement that “massive amounts of water” from an "epic storm" had created “severe disruptions.”

He warned residents not to travel until further notice.