Blizzards in US leave 80,000 without power

Much of New England was under a thick blanket of snow yesterday after heavy blizzards swept the region, leaving thousands of people without electricity and forcing two states to declare a state of emergency.

Much of New England was under a thick blanket of snow yesterday after heavy blizzards swept the region, leaving thousands of people without electricity and forcing two states to declare a state of emergency.

The storm, which caused widespread flooding in communities along the US east coast, was expected to continue last forecasters predicting snowdrifts of around two feet in parts of the region.

Fears were growing that the high tides expected today would wreak more havoc on the coast, combining with the high winds to leave sea walls breached by churning seas.

Around 80,000 people in Massachusetts lost electricity as the snow brought down transmission and distribution lines. And from Portland, Maine, to Hull in Massachusetts, some coastal residents abandoned their homes for Red Cross shelters.

The storm also played havoc with the region's airports. Hundreds of flights were cancelled from airports in Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Both Massachusetts and Connecticut were operating under states of emergency and Angus King, the Maine Governor, was ready to issue a similar order. Two of the biggest electricity suppliers in Massachusetts confirmed that a total of 30,000 customers had been left without power after falling trees brought down power lines. The worst-hit region was the Merrimack Valley. (Reuters)