At least two people died, thousands of US flights were canceled or delayed, and more than 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power Monday as severe storms, including hail and lightning, moved through the eastern US, the AP reports. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the greater DC area, lasting until 9pm. A special Weather Service statement warned, "There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes." The storms' spread was massive, with tornado watches and warnings posted across 10 states from Tennessee to New York. The National Weather Service said more than 29.5 million people were under a tornado watch Monday afternoon.
In Anderson, South Carolina, a 15-year-old boy who arrived at his grandparents' house during the storm was struck and killed when a tree fell on him as he got out of a car, according to the Anderson County Office of the Coroner. In Florence, Alabama, police said a 28-year-old man was struck by lightning and died, WAAY-TV reported. By Monday night, more than 2,600 US flights had been canceled and nearly 7,900 delayed, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Many cancellations were at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which was digging out from disruptions caused by Sunday storms. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was rerouting planes around storms heading to the East Coast.
"This does look to be one of the most impactful severe weather events across the Mid-Atlantic that we have had in some time," National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Strong said in a Facebook briefing. The storms were expected to strike major population areas in late afternoon and early evening, prompting federal workers to be sent home early so they wouldn't be in their cars amid wind, hail, and tornadoes. Strong advised residents: Get "yourself in a strong shelter. Be at home or be at work." By early evening, more than 1.1 million customers were without power across Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia—all states along the storm system's path, according to poweroutage.us.
(More
severe weather stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
