East Coast storms leave 2 dead, thousands of flights canceled and 1 million without power
Severe mid-Atlantic storms rolled across the East Coast on Monday, killing at least two people, canceling over 2,000 flights and leaving 1.1 million people and businesses without power.
Severe storm warnings were issued across several states on Monday, with the National Weather Service issuing a tornado alert for the greater Washington, D.C., area. By Monday afternoon, more than 29.5 million Americans were under a tornado watch.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain continued to push through eastern states, toppling trees and downing power lines. In just 24 hours, the National Weather Service recorded over 1,000 storm reports of hail and wind along the East Coast.
In Georgia, several counties were issued severe weather cautions throughout the day, after winds reached speeds of 80 mph. Virginia and Maryland were hit with heavy hailstorms throughout Monday. Golf ball-sized hail, roughly 4.5 inches in diameter, was recorded in Virginia, according to the NWS.
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New Yorkers were encouraged to prepare for heavy rain by NYC's official emergency notification system. “During periods of heavy rain, move to higher ground. If in a basement, move to a higher floor,” emergency officials tweeted.
In South Carolina, 15-year-old Evan Christopher Kinley, who was visiting his grandparents, died after he was struck by a tree during a storm. A coroner at Anderson County Coroner’s Office said the tree struck the teenager as he got out of a car. In Alabama, a 28-year-old man was killed in a parking lot when he was struck by lightning.
By Monday night, 2,600 flights had been canceled across the 10 affected states and 7,900 other flights delayed.
Power had returned to more than half of the affected households and businesses by Tuesday morning. However, hundreds of thousands of people across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland remained without power. In Tennessee, local officials said that it could take days to restore electricity after strong winds caused significant damage to the power infrastructure.
On Tuesday morning, residents of Paoli, Ind., were left with the aftermath of two reported tornadoes that struck the town the day before. “Pretty much tore up this little town,” local resident Jason Terrell told WDRB. Drone footage taken in Dubois County in Indiana showed the damage made by the tornado on Monday night.
