Record Storm Pummels East Coast
Pastor Dale Morgan
Apr 16, 5:16 PM EDT
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Record Storm Pummels East Coast*
By DAVID BAUDER
Associated Press Writer
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (AP) -- A menacing spring storm punished the
Northeast for a second straight day Monday, dumping more than 8 inches
of rain on Central Park and sending refrigerators and pickup trucks
floating down rivers in one of the region's worst storms in recent memory.
"This one is really a horror show," Gov. Eliot Spitzer said after
touring hard-hit areas north of New York City.
The nor'easter left a huge swath of devastation, from the beaches of
South Carolina to the mountains of Maine. It knocked out power to
hundreds of thousands of people and was blamed for at least nine deaths
nationwide, including a New Jersey man who drowned inside a car.
The storm showed no immediate sign of letting up. The National Weather
Service predicted showers through Wednesday night in the New York City
area, with rain mixed with snow at times.
The storm was especially harsh in the Westchester County suburbs north
of New York City and in New Jersey, where the state was placed under a
state of emergency and more than 1,400 residents were evacuated - many
by boat.
Vermont got about 17 inches of snow, with flakes still falling Monday
across sections of Pennsylvania, New York and Maine.
"We have incredible amounts of damage," said Steve Costello, a spokesman
for Central Vermont Public Service, describing power lines brought down
by high wind. "I've never seen anything like it."
New Jersey authorities called it the worst storm to hit the state in 15
years. Five homes burned down in one town after fire crews could not
reach the buildings because of floodwaters.
"There was debris flowing down the river like you wouldn't believe -
refrigerators, I mean, you name it, it was going down the river," said
homeowner John Vitro, whose basement at one point had water 5 feet high.
Wind gusts registered 60 mph near Boston, where runners had to contend
with rain and 52 mph winds during the Boston Marathon.
Gusts exceeding 80 mph in Maine toppled trees and drove rain that
flooded roads and sank boats. In New Hampshire, a landslide forced the
closure of part of the state's major east-west route, and winds blew out
windows on oceanfront stores.
One person died in a car stalled in deep water in an underpass in New
Jersey. Another person was killed by a tornado in South Carolina, and
two died in car accidents - one in upstate New York and one in
Connecticut. The same storm was blamed for five deaths earlier in Texas
and Kansas.
In New York City, more than 8 inches of rain fell on Central Park,
quadrupling the 101-year-old record for the date. In Croton-on-Hudson,
north of the city, half of the commuter train station's parking lot was
under water.
In nearby Mamaroneck, firefighters plucked Kathleen Reale, 41, and her
twin boys from their window using a front-end loader. Knee-high flooding
destroyed furniture in her garage and basement.
"I mean everything will be ruined," she said. "Everything will be gone.
It's unbelievable."
Snow drifts stranded tractor-trailers on highways in Pennsylvania.
Washouts, flooding, mudslides and fallen trees blocked roads from
Kentucky to New England.
Pounding waves completely covered the beach at Hampton Beach, N.H.,
where residents reported up to 5 feet of water pouring through their
front doors.
"We went to look, but the wind was so strong that you couldn't walk ...
The wind just turned you back," said Linda Pepin of Bristol, Conn., who
owns a condominium less than 50 feet from shore.
Coastal residents were urged to evacuate in parts of Maine, where
Amtrak's Downeaster suspended service because tracks were washed out.
Flooding delayed or canceled Amtrak service between Boston and Washington.
The storm also grounded flights at New York's three major airports. Some
stranded passengers slept on cots at LaGuardia Airport.
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Associated Press writers David Porter in Union City, N.J., Katharine
Webster in Hampton, N.H., and Clarke Canfield in Portland, Maine,
contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com/
National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/
Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com/