In early September, Windcrest Councilman Greg Turner stood before the city’s ethics commission and said he did not have a personal or professional relationship with Corey Jones, the owner of a nearby boarding facility that had recently housed the city’s stray cats and dogs for nearly a year.

Tales of selflessness and heroism — and of deadly delays and heartbreaking missed opportunities — are emerging after the remnants of Hurricane Ida pummeled the Northeast with record-breaking rain that flooded roads and houses, killing dozens.