Ernesto kills one, knocks out power in North Carolina
Pastor Dale Morgan
Ernesto kills one, knocks out power in North Carolina*
MIAMI, Sept 1 (AFP) Sep 01, 2006
Tropical Storm Ernesto caused at least one death, flooded roads and left
tens of thousands of people without power as it traveled across North
Carolina, state Governor Michael Easley said Friday.
"We can confirm one fatality," he said at a news conference, adding that
the person was involved in a "single-car accident," but giving no
further details.
He said the storm left 63,000 people without power and flooded numerous
roads.
As he spoke, weather forecasters downgraded the storm to a tropical
depression.
Ernesto had made its second US landfall on North Carolina's Atlantic
coast Thursday night as a tropical storm just slightly below hurricane
strength.
On Sunday, Ernesto had become the first Atlantic hurricane of the year
before weakening.
It caused three deaths in Haiti before swirling over Cuba and losing
more strength. It was downgraded to a tropical depression as it crossed
southern Florida but regained some power on Thursday as it swirled over
warm Atlantic Ocean waters.