Thursday, August 30, 2012


Storms knock out power to tens of thousands from Plains to Northeast

By Khara Lewin, CNN
updated 4:51 AM EDT, Fri July 27, 2012
Lightning flashes across the sky Thursday, July 26, in Nyack, New York, in this dramatic photo from CNN iReporter Eric Girard. Storms ripped through the Northeast on Thursday night, unleashing strong winds and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers.Lightning flashes across the sky Thursday, July 26, in Nyack, New York, in this dramatic photo from CNN iReporter Eric Girard. Storms ripped through the Northeast on Thursday night, unleashing strong winds and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers.
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Storms strike the Northeast
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Storms kill one in New York and one in Pennsylvania
  • More than 200,000 in Ohio, New Jersey and other states lose power
  • "Trees were bending sideways," a man in New Jersey says
  • National Weather Service reports possible tornado touchdowns in the Northeast
(CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands lost power due to a potent storm system that extended eastward from the Plains toward the Northeast on Thursday, bringing with it high winds and destructive lightning.
Severe thunderstorm watches were in effect at one point Thursday evening for a continuous stretch from Oklahoma through New Jersey. The danger could lurk for several hours longer, with the National Weather Service issuing such warnings in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Kentucky, Virginia, Arkansas and other points in between.
Well before then, the system had already packed a punch.
In Pennsylvania, a tree crushed a woman in her car as she sought shelter at a campsite, killing her, said Glenn Dunn, the emergency management coordinator for Potter County.
A 61-year-old man in Brooklyn, New York, died after lightning struck a church sending a scaffold crashing down on him, authorities said.
Witnesses reported trees in the region buckling under the impact.
"The trees were bending sideways, (and) the sky just went really dark and green," said Mark Ventrini, a photographer, of the scene around 7:30 p.m. as he headed toward Belmar, New Jersey. "Some of the storms were pretty intense."

Isaac claims fatality as thousands forced to evacuate

By Josh Levs and Chelsea J. Carter, CNN
updated 9:57 AM EDT, Thu August 30, 2012
Rescue workers transport residents trapped by rising water from Tropical Storm Isaac in LaPlace, Louisiana, on Wednesday, August 29. While Isaac lost its hurricane status, officials warned of continued threats from storm surges and flooding.Rescue workers transport residents trapped by rising water from Tropical Storm Isaac in LaPlace, Louisiana, on Wednesday, August 29. While Isaac lost its hurricane status, officials warned of continued threats from storm surges and flooding.
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Isaac pounds Gulf Coast
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: A Mississippi dam "is expected to fail," the National Weather Service says
  • One man was killed in Mississippi by a falling tree, authorities say
  • Nearly a million customers are without power in the region
  • The eye of storm is 55 miles southeast of Alexandria, Louisiana
Have you been affected by Isaac? Share your photos here.
(CNN) -- Authorities warned people in a handful of towns outside of New Orleans to get out early Thursday ahead of rising water brought on by hurricane-turned-tropical storm Isaac, which dumped more than 20 inches of rain in some areas.
The warning came as the storm claimed its first fatality. A tow truck driver attempting to clear debris on a road in Mississippi was struck by a falling tree, officials said. The incident took place at midnight, said Amanda Harris, deputy director of the Pearl River County Emergency Management office.
The National Weather Service said it received reports of the fatality in Picayune, Mississippi.
On Louisiana's border with Mississippi, residents of Washington Parish were alerted that the Bogue Chitto River was expected to rise by 14 feet overnight.