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At least one killed as storms sweep EastWind, rain follow record snowfall in many areas
SHOULDERBLADE, Kentucky (CNN) -- At least one person was killed and 10 others injured after strong winds hit a trailer park in eastern Kentucky. At least 10 mobile homes were "completely wiped out," said dispatcher Derek Sturgill of the Kentucky State Police. The winds began about 4 p.m. ET. A tornado was suspected but not confirmed. (Full story) The storm was only one of many that pounded the eastern United States on Saturday. Roofs collapsed and waterways swelled over their banks as heavy rainstorms slammed areas of the East Coast still covered with a record snowfall. Snow that melted in warmer temperatures added to the soggy conditions. The wide band of storms even caused problems where no snow had fallen. Low-lying areas flooded as far south as Florida and as far west as Alabama. A possible tornado spun through North Carolina. Hotel roofs were damaged by wind and rains on Florida's Gulf Coast. The National Weather Service posted tornado watches across the Carolinas and down to northeast Florida. The storms, centered over western Tennessee, were expected to reach the Northeast before moving offshore Sunday. Widespread damageIn Lanham, Maryland, just outside Washington in Prince George's County, the roof of a Toys "R" Us store collapsed before noon Saturday (Full story). Authorities initially feared customers might have been trapped inside when 90 percent of the building's roof caved in, but later said they were "cautiously optimistic" no one was inside. Rescue dogs were brought in to search the building, but did not pick up any scents indicating anyone was inside. All 10 of the store's employees were accounted for. Nine people were treated for minor injuries. In Leesburg, Virginia, flooding forced the evacuation of Heritage Hall nursing home, according to emergency services spokeswoman Mary Maguire. "There is substantial water running throughout the nursing home from the area of the roof which has resulted in life-safety hazards throughout the building," she said. "We are in the process of evacuating 162 residents from the home and are relocating them to other areas of the town."
Maguire said the rain buckled the roof of an area Wal-Mart store, and customers and employees were all safely evacuated. The roof of the Grand Rental Station in Odenton, Maryland, collapsed, but no injuries were reported. Capt. Lee Cornwell of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department told CNN three store employees got out safely and a collapse-rescue team, using thermal-imaging devices, did not find anyone else inside the store. Cornwell said fire officials were checking roofs of other structures in the Odenton Shopping Center to make sure they were not in danger. A possible tornado carved a path of destruction in Asheboro, North Carolina, shearing off the roof of a mall, overturning mobile homes, toppling trees and causing power outages. No injuries were reported. The city was providing tarps for homes and businesses with damaged roofs as heavy rain continued, said Debbie Hines, deputy director of 911. (Full story)
On Florida's Gulf Coast, high winds damaged the roofs of the Blue Horizon and Sugar Isle hotels on Okaloosa Island, a popular vacation destination near Fort Walton Beach. The area was under a tornado watch overnight, authorities said, but no tornado was sighted. Other problems were reported in Howard County, Maryland, where the roof of a barn collapsed in Clarksville, trapping four horses. In Herndon, Virginia, an elementary school's roof collapsed. The building was closed for the weekend and no one was inside.
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