Lightning strike in Alabama, tree fall in South Carolina
A 28-year-old man was killed by a lightning strike in Alabama on Monday, as severe storms swept through the eastern U.S., causing widespread power outages and damage. The man was working on a roof at a construction site in Huntsville when he was struck by lightning, according to the Madison County coroner. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another death was reported in South Carolina, where a 15-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree. The boy was riding a bike with his father in Anderson when a tree fell on them, according to the Anderson County coroner. The father was injured and taken to a hospital, while the son died from his injuries.
More than one million customers without electricity
The storms also knocked out power to more than one million customers across several states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. According to the tracking website poweroutage.us, North Carolina had the most outages, with more than 250,000 customers affected. Georgia had more than 140,000 outages, while Pennsylvania had more than 170,000.
The power outages also disrupted air travel, as thousands of flights were delayed or canceled due to the weather. According to flightaware.com, more than 1,000 flights were canceled and more than 4,000 were delayed within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday.
Tornadoes and flash floods reported
The storms also spawned several tornadoes and flash floods in some areas. The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and New York on Monday. Several tornadoes were confirmed by radar or eyewitness reports, but no major damage or injuries were reported.
Flash floods were also a problem in some areas, especially in Maryland, where dozens of people were trapped in their cars after power lines came down on a highway. The incident happened on Route 140 in Westminster, where around 30 poles fell due to the storm. More than 40 people, including 14 children and a dog, were stuck in their vehicles for hours until the utility company de-energized the lines and rescued them. No one was hurt in the incident.
Another flash flood occurred in Cambridge, Maryland, where police said they had to rescue over a dozen people from their homes or cars. The city was hit by heavy rain that caused water levels to rise rapidly. No injuries were reported.
Storms expected to weaken on Tuesday
The severe weather threat is expected to diminish on Tuesday, as the storm system moves eastward and weakens. However, some isolated thunderstorms are still possible along the coast and in the Northeast. The National Weather Service advised people to stay alert and follow local weather updates.
