Severe Storms Leave Half a Million Without Power and 2 Dead on East Coast
As of Tuesday morning, nearly half a million customers in the United States were still without power after severe weather ravaged the East Coast, murdering at least two people.
According to data compiled by PowerOutage.us, as of 5:41 a.m. ET, there were 439,431 reported power disruptions in the United States, primarily in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, and Tennessee. Due to the precipitation, the number reached one million on Monday night.
Across the US on Monday, there were more than 600 reports of destructive storms, ranging from Georgia to New York state. The National Weather Service also reported damaging storms and a tornado in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.
At least two deaths were attributed to Monday’s stormy weather, according to local authorities: a 28-year-old man who was struck by lightning in Florence, Alabama, and a 15-year-old who was impacted by a collapsing tree in Anderson, South Carolina.
Storms delivered torrential rain, destructive winds, massive hail, and deafening thunder to the eastern United States on Monday afternoon and evening, after having pummeled the Midwest over the weekend. In Georgia and Maryland, straight-line winds gusted to 71 and 63 miles per hour, bringing down power lines and trees, respectively. In Virginia, grapefruit-sized precipitation was reported.
On a major interstate in Westminster, Maryland, 33 adults, 14 children, and a companion dog were entrapped inside 34 vehicles by downed utility poles. According to state authorities, it took several hours for them to be rescued, but there were no reported injuries.
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Severe Storms Cause Widespread Flight Disruptions in Major East Coast Cities
Thousands of flights were subsequently canceled or delayed, impacting airports in key locations such as Atlanta, New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Boston.
A lingering storm system in New England could bring isolated severe thunderstorms with gusty winds and possibly an isolated tornado, according to the most recent forecast. Until Tuesday evening, a large portion of New England is also under a flood watch as heavy precipitation may cause rapid flooding.
On Tuesday, the Great Plains, particularly Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas, become the primary region at risk for severe weather, with the possibility of an isolated tornado and enormous hail. According to the most recent forecast, areas from Mississippi to Georgia will also be vulnerable to damaging gusts on Tuesday.
The forecast calls for a continuation of the inclement weather through Wednesday and the weekend, with an abundance of precipitation. Localized inundation is a possibility from the Midwest to the Deep South.
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Source: ABC News
