10 months ago
70
ARTICLE AD BOX
Image source, Getty Images
In northern New York, heavy rains flooded cars in the streets
By Madeline Halpert
BBC News, New York
At least three people have been killed as a massive storm brings power outages, flood watches and flight delays to the US East Coast.
A woman died in floodwaters outside Charleston, South Carolina and two men in northeastern states were killed as the storm moved toward Canada.
Millions of East Coast residents were on flood watch and over 700,000 were without power earlier on Monday.
Lingering until Tuesday, the storm is expected to endanger holiday travel.
The weather has brought "widespread heavy rain that resulted in river flooding, scattered to widespread areas with flash flooding with some areas experiencing road washouts", the National Weather Service said.
The first storm-related death was confirmed in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Nancy Morrow, 72, was killed after she got stuck in a vehicle submerged under water, officials said. Officers jumped in the water to try to save her.
In Hanover, Massachusetts on Monday, an 89-year-old man, Robert Horky, died after strong winds knocked a tree over onto his trailer, causing severe head trauma, local officials said.
A third person, who police have not yet identified, died in Windham, Maine. A tree fell on him while he was trying to clean debris from his roof, authorities said.
Heavy winds and rain have made for dangerous travel conditions, leading to over 3,400 delayed and 500 cancelled flights travelling to or in the US, according to FlightAware. The worst airport impacts were in the Boston and New York areas.
Schools across all of the New England region have also been forced to cancel or delay classes because of road conditions.
The storm has had a number of effects on several states along the East Coast:
- In Boston, Massachusetts, winds were as strong as 50 miles per hour (80 kmh), according to the local National Weather Service
- Dozens of people stranded in floodwaters were in need of rescue near the waterfront area of Georgetown, South Carolina, where more than nine inches (22 cm) of rain fell, officials said.
- In total nearly 60 million people from Virginia to Maine were under a flood watch
The worst of the rains is set to subside Monday evening, but road conditions will still be treacherous, the National Weather Service said.
"Give yourself extra time for your commute and NEVER drive through a flooded roadway," NWS said.
The storm is expected to move into Canada later on Monday, while some snow may fall across parts of the north-east Monday night as well.
The weather comes nearly a year after a major winter storm in the US caused travel chaos during the busy holiday travel season.
English (US)