East Coast storm death toll climbs to five as thousands left without power: Live

Major storm unleashed between two and four inches of rainfall across the East Coast

Massive storm system drenches East Coast threatening holiday travel

At least five people died after dangerous flooding pounded New England.

A 72-year-old woman, named as Nancy Morrow, died in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on Sunday after becoming trapped as her car was fully submerged in water, officials said.

Another 73-year-old man, identified as Allan “Ray “ Nolt, in Pennsylvania was also killed after his vehicle became submerged in high water on Monday, according to the coroner’s office in Lancaster County.

Two more people, including a 40-year-old in Maine man whom police have not yet named, and an 89-year-old man in Massachusetts, were killed by fallen trees after the storm caused strong winds.

Meanwhile, a fifth person died in New York when their vehicle went around a barricade on a flooded road and was swept into the Catskill Creek, the Times Union reported.

It comes after 58 million Americans were put under flood warnings yesterday amid a major storm on the East Coast.

The storm unleashed between two and four inches of rainfall across the region within a 24-hour period, triggering flooding that engulfed cars, trapped drivers on inundated roadways in New Jersey and Connecticut, and prompted water rescues in New Hampshire and Maine.

The severe weather also left more than 620,000 homes and businesses in the region without power, according to poweroutage.us. Most of the power outages were reported in Maine, where 432,000 people remained in the dark as of Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday morning, the storm moved into Canada, but the National Weather Service warned its impact will “linger,” with snow in parts of New York and Pennsylvania, as well as parts of the Great Lakes and Appalachians, while areas with higher river levels were still experiencing flooding.

Key points

• 58 million Americans under flood watches
• More than 600,000 across the northeast are without power: tracker
• Five killed as dangerous floods pound New England
• Storm moves to Canada, but its impact will ‘linger’ - NWS

[18 December 2023 11:11 · Martha Mchardy]

New York braces for major storm with millions across US under flood watches

New York is bracing for a major storm with 58 million people currently under flood watches in the East Coast just as holiday travel plans get under way.

Around one foot of inundation is expected in New York on Monday as more than a dozen states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, are under flood warnings with heavy rain and strong winds moving in.

The National Weather Service has warned that strong gusts of wind may make travel particularly difficult in parts of southern Connecticut, southeastern New York and Boston.

The strong gusts may down trees and power lines, as well as damage or blow away outdoor holiday decorations in parts of the region, officials have warned.

The severe weather conditions have already affected traffic along the I-95 corridor, which has been at risk of delays from wind and rain throughout the weekend and into Monday.

South Carolina was hit hard with flooding rains on Saturday, while around 45 million people from eastern Georgia to the Northeast were also under high wind alerts late on Sunday.

[18 December 2023 11:18 · Martha Mchardy]

Mayor Eric Adams warns New Yorkers to ‘be alert’ as heavy rain expected to hit city

“With significant rainfall and high winds predicted for this Sunday into Monday, we want to remind New Yorkers to be alert, keep checking the forecast, and stay prepared,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a press release.

“If you have loose things outside, now is a good time to secure them, before the winds start. People in low-lying and poor drainage areas should take extra precautions.”

[18 December 2023 11:26 · Martha Mchardy]

58 million Americans under flood watches

More than a dozen states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, are under flood warnings with heavy rain and strong winds moving in.

The flood warnings affect 58 million people.

[18 December 2023 12:00 · Martha Mchardy]

An intense late-year storm barreled up the East Coast on Sunday with heavy rains and strong winds that shattered rainfall records, forced water rescues from flooded streets and washed out holiday celebrations.

Authorities rescued dozens of motorists stranded by floodwaters in South Carolina‘s waterfront community of Georgetown, Georgetown County spokesperson Jackie Broach said. More than 9 inches (22.9 centimeters) of rain fell in the area situated between Charleston and Myrtle Beach since late Saturday.

“It’s not just the areas that we normally see flooding, that are flood-prone,” Broach said. “It’s areas that we’re not really expecting to have flooding issues...It’s like a tropical storm, it just happens to be in December.”

[18 December 2023 12:35 · Martha Mchardy]

Effects of storm will ‘likely linger’ past Monday, says weather service

The storm system will start to push away from the Northeast later on Monday evening, but its effects will likely linger, the weather service said.

“Even though the big storm will begin to depart the Northeast Monday evening, the huge circulation of the storm will overspread the entire eastern U.S. with very blustery conditions,” the weather service said.

[18 December 2023 13:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Latest pictures as more than a dozen states issued with flood warnings

A car drives through a flooded street near the Battery, Sunday (AP)

[18 December 2023 13:30 · Martha Mchardy]

Almost 200,000 still without power as storm batters through dozens of states

The storm left hundreds of thousands of people without power on Saturday and Sunday, with almost 200,000 people still without electricity in states including Virginia, New Jersey and New York as of Monday morning, according to the tracker PowerOutage.us.

The storm began trekking up the coast on Saturday, sweeping through much of Florida, before moving along the Southeastern coast on Sunday.

It is now moving along the East coast.

[18 December 2023 14:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Watch: Massive storm system drenches East Coast threatening travel impacts

[18 December 2023 14:09 · Katie Hawkinson]

Rhode Island coastal levels may hit a 32-year high

Thanks to heavy rain, parts of Rhode Island might see their highest coastal levels in three decades, meteorologists say.

Water levels at Fox Point in Providence, Rhode Island are expected to approach 10 feet, according to the National Weather Service Boston. The last time water levels hit that point was during Hurricane Bob in 1991.

Meanwhile, cities across the northeast are preparing for similar spikes in coastal levels and potential flooding as heavy rain continues to beat down.

[18 December 2023 14:25 · Katie Hawkinson]

Georgia beat 143-year-old rainfall record over the weekend

The Savannah International Airport in Savannah, Georgia recorded 3.16 inches of rainfall on Sunday, beating the record of 1.96 inches in 1880, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston, South Carolina.

The region beat an additional two records over the weekend. Downtown Charleston, South Carolina was hit by 3.86 inches of rainfall on Sunday, beating the 1923 record of just 1.18 inches. Meanwhile, the Charleston International Airport recorded 3.17 inches, more than three times the 1975 record of just .66 inches.