The Latest: Body of swept-away driver found in New York

By Associated Press 02 November 2019, 12:00AM

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Latest on the severe weather that hit the eastern United States (all times local):

3 p.m.

A driver swept away by flood waters in New York was found dead, and more than 241,000 customers are still without power after a night of heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 70 mph (110 kph).

State officials say the driver was traveling through a flooded area in the Herkimer County town of Norway on Thursday night and was swept away after leaving his vehicle. His body was recovered Friday.

Police in the nearby village of Dolgeville deployed a boat in fast-running water to rescue six people from a home.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that several hundred people were evacuated around the state because of high waters.

The Journal News says a 9-year-old girl suffered fractures when a tree fell on her while she was trick-or-treating Thursday in New Rochelle.

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1:50 p.m.

The opening session of the luge national championships was canceled Friday because of heavy rain, high winds and power outages across large swaths of upstate New York.

USA Luge says Saturday's races remain on schedule. Instead of crowning national champions through a four-heat, two-day event at Mount Van Hoevenberg, those titles will now be won at a two-heat, one-day competition.

Several inches (centimeters) of rain fell over parts of the Adirondacks between late Thursday and early Friday. Gusts exceeding 50 mph (80 kph) were reported in some areas, and many rivers were well above flood level.

A state of emergency was declared in Essex County, which includes the Mount Van Hoevenberg complex. Early voting for next week's elections was called off Friday in some communities, small bridges were closed in several areas because of rising water, and many schools around the Adirondack region canceled classes for the day. At least one high school football playoff game was postponed.

USA Skeleton's World Cup team trials continue as scheduled Saturday and Sunday at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Forecasters say conditions will improve for the weekend.

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12:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service is confirming that a tornado with winds of 111 to 135 mph tore through a suburb near Philadelphia.

Meteorologist Jason Franklin of the National Weather Service says an EF2 tornado moved through Glen Mills, Delaware County late Thursday.

Local officials say that at least two dozen homes were damaged and one person was injured.

Franklin says investigators are still evaluating whether tornadoes touched down elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

In western Pennsylvania, officials say high winds caused a car fire Friday morning to spread to other vehicles in a hotel parking lot in Harmar Township, leaving six cars damaged.

A series of storms that began on Halloween caused flooding, knocked over trees, and cut power to more than 500,000 customers from South Carolina to Maine and Ohio.

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12:05 p.m.

Tennessee officials say a man injured when a large tree fell on his vehicle has died.

The Knoxville Police Department tweeted on Friday that 79-year-old George Walker was pronounced dead late Thursday, hours after severe storms passed through the state downing trees and power lines and injuring at least four others.

News outlets report that Walker was driving when a tree fell in high winds, hit power lines and then his van.

The Tennessee death came after a series of storms that began on Halloween caused flooding, knocked over trees, and cut power to more than 500,000 customers from South Carolina to Maine and Ohio.

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8:00 a.m.

Homes have been destroyed in Pennsylvania and hundreds of thousands of utility customers were left without power after severe thunderstorms struck the Eastern Seaboard.

At least 420,000 customers from South Carolina up to Maine and in Ohio were without power just before midnight Thursday.

In Pennsylvania, Delaware County Emergency Management Director Tim Boyce told WPVI-TV on Friday that eight homes were destroyed and dozens were damaged.

More than 100,000 homes and businesses were without electricity in the Philadelphia suburbs early Friday. More outages occurred in western Pennsylvania, where storms caused flooding, mudslides and road closures.

Trees also toppled in New Jersey, which initially had more than 25,000 homes and businesses without power.

The weather also caused damage, outages and commuter delays across New York's Long Island.

By Associated Press 02 November 2019, 12:00AM

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