Extreme Conditions

Eight killed as storms batter USA

(16 April 2007)

Strong storms battering eastern USA have claimed at least eight lives and caused extensive flooding and damage.

A state of emergency has been declared in West Virginia and New Jersey, while over 3,000 National Guards were deployed in the worst-hit areas of New York.

High winds and up to 46cm (18 inches) of snow closed some airports and forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled.

The storms are said to be the worst since December 1992.

One person died when one of three tornadoes to hit South Carolina destroyed mobile homes. Two other people died in car accidents in New York and Connecticut, and five more are believed to have been killed by storms in Texas and Kansas on Friday 13 April.